June 28, 2007

... TEN thousand words!



9:55 and change. A really beautiful run. A really relaxing weekend.

June 14, 2007

a sweet getaway plan

Doing the Highlands Sky 40-Miler Saturday at Canaan Valley, W.Va., and it's so close to West Virginia Wesleyan that I am not gonna pass up the chance to visit Buckhannon for the first time in probably a decade.

So, the plan is: Leave here around 5 a.m., drive three hours to Sunny Buck, take a short run, shower, take a stroll around, hit the bookstore, head back to Canaan.

Race will be fun. Party will be better. Weekend promises to be a complete winner.

June 7, 2007

Lupus fundraiser with some shwag maybe

Just saw this on the Ultra List and felt the urge to pass it on, so ... here.

Seems a worthy cause, and what's $5?



Subject: Support my run, win some sunglasses!
From: Brian Thomas
Reply-To: Brian Thomas
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 21:38:17 -0400
Content-Type: text/plain

I've lurked on the list for a while now as I've been training for the
North Country 50 Mile Trail Run in Manistee, Michigan in September. This
is my first 50 miler, although I have a few marathons and a 50k under my
belt. I've decided that part of my training should involve working to
raise money for a good cause and therefore I'm spending the summer using
my run as a fundraiser for the Lupus Foundation of America. My family
knows several people who suffer from this disease and more than five
million people worldwide, mostly women, face an unpredictable future as
they struggle daily with the often debilitating health consequences of
lupus, a potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease that causes the
immune system to attack the body’s own healthy tissue.

On to the good stuff. Who doesn't like winning stuff? Tifosi Optics has
generously donated two pairs of sunglasses that I am raffling off to
those who donate money to the Lupus Foundation in support of my run. For
every $5 that you donate, you will have one chance to receive one of the
pairs of sunglasses (e.g. if you donate $25, you will have five chances
to win.)

I've been running in a pair of these for the last few months and these
are quite a step up from the cheap gas station sunglasses that I am used
to. They are lightweight, stay in place while sweaty, and don't fog up.
They even have interchangeable lenses. They're great for running and, I
imagine, other outdoor sports.

Please don't send me any money--I will just track the donations that are
made directly to the Foundation through their online system. You can
donate through my website at http://www.brianruns.blogspot.com.

My goal is to sell 200 additional "tickets," which would mean another
$1,000 towards our goal. Please pass this information on and help
support the Lupus Foundation of America.

One final note, if you have a blog and mention my effort, I will gladly
give you a free entry just for helping me spread the word. I've been
really impressed with the people on this list and, even if you don't
have the funds to help out the Foundation, I would appreciate any help
promoting my efforts. Thanks.

Regards,
Brian Thomas
brian@thomaswallace.org

June 6, 2007

A Little Run (arf arf)

A quick update on the latest running streak ...

106 days. 41 long runs, including two marathons, a 100-miler, a 90-miler and one loop out at Wild Oak. Actually have done two speed sessions at the track, but those should serve as my about-once-each-five years track workouts.

Upcoming races on the agenda: Highlands Sky 40-Miler, Canaan Valley, W.Va., June 16; Catherine's Big Butt 50 km, New Market Mountain, July 22; Mountain Masochist 50-Miler Nov. 3; VHTRC 50 km mid-December. Will likely toss a marathon in there somewhere, and maybe a one-day trek somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley when the fam goes on vaycay early August.