Monday, August 24, 2009

Mud


Several million years from now, archeologists will be on a dig in the region once known as Oklahoma atop a small outcropping of hills and limestone bluffs 4 miles west of the Arkansas river....a recreational area once called Chandler Park. There, after much digging, they will make a discovery that will baffle the experts. A area of soil not native to the area that apparently was a burial ground for rubber soled shoes.This burial ground almost claimed MY shoes last Saturday night in the 2nd annual MUD RUN! (Not to mention almost losing my watch, wig, and skirt!)
The race started with a quarter mile of nice asphalt....enough for the crowd to thin out somewhat, and enough time to get you thinking about possibly a good time. (Who has ran a 2-mile race anyway? A PR was a certainty!) First hiccup in the run was a couple of haystacks to climb over. No problemo. (I would insert picture of hay bales here, but was way to smart to carry a camera with me on this run!) Then, came the first of the mud pits. A smallish one....should not be much of a hindrance, right? WRONG!!!This mud hole was the worst! Can you say SHOE SUCK? I was up to my knees with a vacuum sucking me under. These guys were in a frantic search for their Nikes, and I am sure hey are still under the surface to this day. I witnessed many people running with no shoes....you might wonder if that was intentional, but I saw several running with ONE shoe. At least they got out alive! The 3rd obstacle was a field of tires, and both times through these, I used them to knock a few pounds of sticky foot-weight from my trail shoes. A quick crawl under a wooden structure through some sandy mud was not all that bad. The sand had packed and the going was easy. The second trip through was a cakewalk. Then, it was back down the road the way we came, clear through the starting line and around a small hill in back of where the band SEXTION 8 was playing, and then another hairpin turn to the cruelest of obstacles.A wall of tires that you had to crawl through. Now many of the prissier runners (and you know and we know who you are) tiptoed through with stiff arms and legs, keeping their precious torsos clean. But most of us did a full body immersion in the mud. Then came the water slide. Several local firemen kept a steady rush of water keeping the slide slick, and of course this added to the depth of the mud at the bottom. Great fun, but there were some unflattering moments such as the one had by this poor lady.

Lots of good fortune was in store for those who finished the race. First off, since there were 3 heats, this was a very huge spectator event. More good fortune: every runner got not one but two free beers, and it was not the watered down cheap stuff. Sandra Wright acquired 6 kegs from Midtown Liquor, and this was some of the best beer I've ever had, even though I had to use the first drink as mouthwash to get the mud out of my mouth. And still more good fortune: there were water hoses to knock some of the mud from our bods before we had to get into our cars. And more good fortune abounds for Joe, who gets to handle the hosing duties.

Officer McGinnis supervises 4 convicts who had a weekend pass to attend this event.

Mud devils!

BOMBs are not afraid of a little mud!

When Harry met Sally.

This years Mud Run was a huge success. I am still digging out crust from my ears, navel, and well....other places. Thanks to all who ran, spectated, and especially those who volunteered. Almost 1000 people enjoyed the fun this year, and we raised a boatload of $$$ for the Burn Camp. I am betting there are more Mud Run pictures on Facebook than there has been for any other race in Tulsa, EVER.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009



This is no new news....just a reminder to NOT MISS the most fun event of the year. This years race features a great new locale, more mud pits, more slides, longer mud pits, deeper mud pits, the music of Sextion 8, free beer, and some of the most outrageous costumes you'll ever see.

So,
shine your shoes,
comb your hair,
put on that new
little running outfit
you just bought
from your favorite
running store,
and come out
and get it MUDDY!
____________________________________________________________________________________

Form a 2 or 5 man team, or run it solo. Either way, you're guaranteed to have fun, and your Mama won't be standing at the back door with a belt in her hand cuz you got all dirty. This time, it's OK.



Still feel a little too prissy to get icky mud all over your sissy little body? Well, come out anyway to watch the mania. Or better yet, we could use volunteers.

See ya there!


GREAT

NEWS!!!

ROLLERBLADE

GUY

PIC

IS

BEING

SCROLLED

DOWN!!!


You are welcome!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Who is this guy? Oh, I know we all refer to him as Rollerblade Guy, and sometimes some names rated PG-13 and worse, but who is he? What is his story? Does anyone know his name? Anyone strike a short conversation with him....nice day, huh? Hot enough for you? (On second thought, don't think I want to know about that question!)I have heard that someone once said "hey" as they passed, and he just ignored them. Maybe he is deaf? Maybe he has some complex issues?

I think he may be someone famous skating incognito. You never see him without the dark glasses. Could he be someone like Ritchie Blackmore, who some of the older group may remember as the lead guitarist for Deep Purple? Does bear a resemblance.

Or maybe he is really Gene Simmons. Honestly, this dude could pass for the front man for KISS. Scary, huh?

But I still think he may be a long lost brother or cousin to Brian. Of the three choices, I cast my vote to him being related to Head Tatur.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Notes from T Z

Due to an alarm clock operator malfunction, I got about an extra hour of sleep Saturday morning, and to make any kind of a showing at all, I rode my bike over the same route that most of the group was running.This gave me a chance to get a lot of pictures although pictures of runners running the other way while I was pedaling spelled fuzzy shots and I only ended up with a handful of so-so captures. Jason has his group churning out a great pace. I wonder if he is maybe 3 seconds ahead of the correct pace though.

Would like to know this guys story. Anyone know why he runs shoeless?

I might have been mistaken, but I swear I saw Coach Kathy running a few steps!!

There were reports of a hot blond flashing dual revolvers along the Riverside trail. She likes to have her picture taken too. Heidi....you're such a ham!

There was some weird stuff going on out on the river trail Saturday. There was a deranged woman running along the river screaming at people that they were MURDERS! Now the paparazzi would have LOVED to have gotten a picture of this lady, an artist's rendition will have to suffice. Lisa was screamed at while crossing the pedestrian bridge, and Terry and Becky took a dose of her wrath later on the east trail. Anyone know what her story was? I suspect some schizophrenia.

A common sight along the river is Rollerblade Guy. He got a good workout Saturday morning, evidently going end-to-end, and even skated on the westside trails.

Is it me, or could Brian and Rollerblade guy be brothers? It was this pondering (and me scrolling backwards on my camera while riding) that led to a bike wreck. I was looking at the last two pics to see how feasible it would be to photo-shop Brian's head on the skater-dude, when I almost ran into an older lady riding her bike. Yes, I was right in her path like a dumb dumb. I made a quick swerve and avoided the collision, and then while getting back onto the trail, still with one hand on the handlebars and one eye on the camera, I got a wheel caught in the groove that the edgers make along the sidewalk, and down I went hard with a thud!Meg was there, right as I fell, and asked if I was ok. I was pretty embarrassed, and Rollerblade guy sidestepped me. Nothing hurt but my pride.And a couple of boo boos on my elbow.

So, what to learn from today? No picture editing while riding! Same goes for texting while bike riding, but that's another story!

Finally, in case you wondered if ANYONE ran last night in the storm....Bobby, Susan, Sandra, Terry, and Tom did!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Include more TURKEY in your diet

Bobby's Bunch has been enjoying the new paved trail at the base of Turkey Mountain for a few weeks now.From 10-15 runners enjoy one of the best kept secrets in Tulsa, at least if you're a runner. Even if it's 100 degrees, the paved trail along the river is a cool place to run. Seriously, it is shady from around 3:30 on, and there is almost always a nice breeze blowing up the river. It's about 2 miles out to a drinking fountain near I-44, and the water in that fountain would be suitable for making a cup of tea and is slightly less than refreshing. Best bet: run with a water bottle.

Now, you can get a double dose of Turkey because our Tuesday night runs have been moved from the desert conditions on the east side at Helmerich park to the urban wilderness playgrouns across the river. That's right, Tuesday night's run is now at Turkey!! There is a huge paved parking lot, the above mentioned wide paved trail, a great opportunity for a little hill training, miles of flat trail, and also....an opportunity to go OFF ROAD if you wish!


Jason and TZ most likely would be glad to lead any brave souls around the trails.

Again, bring a water bottle.

There will be water at the parking lot, but none on the trails, unless you like pond water.





And finally, it's SO AWESOME to have Susan back RUNNING! Susan got in THREE MILES tonight, and felt ornery enough to scarf down a cheeseburger while the rest of the eating club ate 40 cent chicken wings. From the looks of this pic, Bobby had better watch out!