Blogs Sport Wallpaper

As I was preparing for the AR50 this Saturday, I noticed there wasn't an elevation chart provided. But after digging around some "racer accounts", I found enough information to get a feel for the elevation, particularly the second half of the race. Below are the links in case you find it helpful.

Hopefully you got the e-mail about the minor course changes too. If not, e-mail Greg Soderlund.

Be ready to get wet! I'll see y'all there. If you recognize me, say hi and make sure I get a photo of you for the blog!

- SD

AR50 Write-Ups

Linda Hurd did a great write-up of her race in 2002, complete with pictures. She does a good job of explaining the trails, climbs before and after Last Gasp, and provides some telling photos of the last two miles. (here)

Ron Adams provides his account of his 1998 race. He also talks about the section between Manhattan Bar to Last Gasp. Also, bring your Technu poison oak wash. (here)

Ultra-regular Stan Jensen wrote up his 1997 run. Good detail on the last 2.5 miles. (here)

Jerry Bloom's race write-up lays out the overall course nicely. (here)

Mind Over Patter

Unrelated, you can also find a story on ultra-running called "Mind Over Patter" (Arizona Republic). Arizona ultrarunner Don Meyer summed up the ultra pacing strategy well - "Part of the strategy is to start slow, then go slower". I love it!

Twenty Five Years Ago Today .......

President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley jr while leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington.

Here's The Presidents account of that day:
http://www.ronaldreagan.com/march30.html

Here's a video clip:
http://tinyurl.com/kmkz4


An insanity plea was a given. I mean, would you shoot somebody for her?

Several years after the shooting, Queen Buffness and I attended a speech given by Secret Service Agent, Timothy McCarthy. Very interesting to hear from a guy who jumped into the line of fire and took one in the chest.

And to revive an old joke, What's The Presidents favorite vegetable? - James Brady.

C'mon, how often do you get a chance to dust that one off and use it?

Yer Unk Goes to the Movies .....

"The World's Fastest Indian"

Bad behaviour and poor choices by previous generations of my family, allow me to give this film 3 thumbs up!!!

I finally made it to see this movie!! It turned into a major undertaking, but it was definitely worth the effort.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a New Zealander with a dream of taking his 1920 Indian to Bonneville.
This is a great movie. If you're a motorcycle fan, you'll love it. If you're NOT a motorcycle fan, you'll love it. My wife loved this movie. Guys, take the wife and or girlfriend and fear not.

Hopkins, as usual, is wonderful as Munro. I'm sure there are liberties taken with the details of the story, as there are in all "Based on a True Story" type film. Who gives a shit? It's a very entertaining film about a very cool subject.

The movie had a pretty small initial release and trying to find a place closer than 75 - 100 miles from the "GrumpyUnk Command and Control Bunker" had been a problem. Finally, last week, it opened at a little Art House Theatre very close to home. The only problem? Unk wasn't close to home. But, Unk WAS on vacation. So no problem right? Wrong. The Yahoo movie finder failed to mention that the theatre wasn't open on Mondays. Queen Buffness and I drove 2 hours to find that out. Arrgh!!! Oh well. We made the drive again 2 days later and did get to see it, so it all turned out ok. Like I said, I was on vacation anyway. It's going to be playing thru Thursday this week and I may well go see it again. You should do likewise if you get a chance.

here's a link to the IMDB site that has more info and lots of linkage for you.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/

Pig Poop Power !!!!!

See, Master Blaster had it all figured out in Mad Max, Thunderdome. Who says life doesn't imitate art?












Ace has a neat post about research at the University of Illinois turning Pig Shit into gasoline today. Link here:
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/165389.php

As always, He has a unique perspective on it too. I don't want to spoil it so go check it out.

UPDATE: The link above is fixed now. Thanks, Surly for pointing that out. Looks like Blogger has the picture problem fixed too, so here's the Master Blaster for ya.

Latest BSA News .........

Roger, The Brit Guy who is helping me get the Beezer up to speed called me this morning. Bad news. The rear hub is dicked up and needs replaced.
Bummer. But all is not lost. Roger had a spare conical hub and wheel that he levered my new tire onto. He says I can use it till I find another. Not bad, 'eh?

I found one at a place I've ordered parts from in the past and just said, "screw it" and bought it. Pretty nice of him to let me use one of his though. It was pretty reasonably priced for the hub and a decent rim all laced up, so I can't really complain.





Seems that someone had dicked around in there and got shit ass backwards, which resulted in the wheel bearings being able to slop around and wallow out the hub. I hadn't noticed any sloppiness while riding it before, but it was only a matter of time, so it's a good thing he found it now. God Love Him. That could have been a very unpleasant surprise if shit had let go up at speed.

This is a good example of why it's been money well spent to have him help me out. I hadn't gotten to checking wheel bearing yet (I've only put about 1000 miles on it) and probably wouldn't have for awhile yet.

Yeah, my Garage Ninja is weak yet, but the learning curve is not quite as steep as it once was.
Blogger is being all weird about posting pictures right now so I can't put any cool pics up. Maybe later.

OK, Blogger seems to have fixed it's picture problem. That's me making sure it's only the contents of my wallet that's getting smaller.

OK. Now Get Back To Work!!!
Made it back from our little getaway Saturday morning. I took a nap and went to work Saturday night and Sunday. Only 1 more weekend of the night shift to go! I'll be starting in my new position in April. Supervising the ER during the 11am to 11pm shift. I'm seriously looking forward to getting off nights. I feel old enough as it is, just by virtue of being as old as I am without the night shift adding to it.

New Blogroll Addition: If you look to the links on the sidebar under Military, you'll see frequent commenter, Shannon, of The Shannon Chronicles there. An Army Wife with her priorities figured out. Gotta love a woman who knows which household item comes first. Check this post out.
http://tinyurl.com/g4adp

Every once in a while, a product comes along that so elegantly solves a problem that you have to think "why didn't I think of that?". I have repeated this epiphany for the last two weeks as I've tried out The Hitch Safe - a small combination lock that fits in the trailer hitch of your car/truck to stash keys. If ever there was a product made for trail runners, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts, this is it. And I have been pleasantly surprised at how much it came in handy.

If you're like me, you constantly have the dilemma of "what to do with the car keys" when you're parked at a trailhead. You can stash them in your wheel well, but then you risk car theft. You can take them on the run, but if you lose them, you're toast. So what's a good, secure alternative?

The Hitch Safe solves this by providing a secure, convenient place to stash your keys while you are out on the trail. It does this by turning your trailer hitch into a hidden combo safe. Simple idea, but I was surprised at how many times it came in handy. Here are a few examples of how I used it in the last two weeks:

1) Race day at the Way Tool Cool 50k. Just before the race, I locked my car keys in the Hitch Safe in my parking spot about 1/2 mile from the start. I felt better not carrying my keys with me during the race. It also had another hidden benefit - before the race started, a good friend had mentioned that she had forgotten her Technu for the post-race poison oak scrub down. I told her I had some extra in my car, and if she couldn't find me, just enter the combo on the Hitch Safe and get it. Very handy!

2) Group run at the Marin Headlands. A group run showed me another way the Hitch Safe is helpful. We put all of our car keys in the Hitch Safe before our run, and put in a new combination that we all knew. Now it didn't matter who was back first, they would be able to get in their car, as well as get all the food stashed in my car. An easy solution to group run coordination.

3) Car drop-off/pick up. I'm not if I mentioned this, but Christi and I were involved in a car accident while driving through the snow on I-80 after the Way Too Cool. So now her car is in the shop and we have to share the truck. Since the key is always with the car, we've been able to use the Hitch Safe to facilitate a car drop-off. I can leave it somewhere close to where she will be later in the day, and she can easily get the key and drive it home.

I thought this was going to be one of those crazy gifts I never used, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how much it has come in handy. It took about 2 minutes to install. I thought I would share the experience with y'all in case you hadn't heard of it. You can buy them online at http://www.neverlockedout.com for $89.95.

Let me know if you have questions!

Thx, SD

We Interupt This Program .........
For a GrumpyUnk special. Live from the Mobile, GrumpyUnk, Command and Control Bunker.

Here we are hidden safely away at the Southern Command Post. Good Queen Buffness and I are doing the R&R thing this week and YerUnk will be busy doing mental hygine cleansing. Much needed cleansing, BTW. We'll be back next week, so all 3 of you who read this crap be good and be safe.

Check out a few of the links. Hope the weather's better where you're at. Later.

Michael Benge doesn’t just write about the adventurous outdoor life, he lives it. An astute climber and trail runner, Michael has channeled his love for the steep into editing two magazines that have become essential to every outdoor enthusiast – Climbing and Trail Runner magazines.

I caught up with Michael to get his thoughts on the growing trail-running scene, his recent experiences as a racer and pacer, and his adventurous outlook on life.

How long have you been climbing and trail running?

Both have been passions for 25 years now. I began climbing while ski bumming in Summit County, Colorado, then got into trail running when I moved to Boulder the next year. In fact, we would sometimes combine the two, running from Boulder on the Mesa Trail out to Eldorado Canyon (a classic climbing venue with colorful sandstone walls up to 800 feet) with our climbing packs on our backs. The pace was obviously slow, but it was a great workout.

Do you consider yourself a climber first and foremost?

I was so involved with climbing both personally and professionally for many years that I still have strong connections to the sport. But throughout that time, I always ran trails. I mainly consider myself a “generalist,” because I love being in the mountains: climbing, trail running, backcountry touring, alpine skiing, mountain biking and bowhunting.

Are there physical or spiritual parallels between climbing and trail running?

There are similarities but also big differences. Climbing includes everything from 8000-meter Himalayan peaks to waterfall ice to the 3000-foot monolith of El Capitan to 12-foot boulders. Big, long climbs might be compared to ultramarathons, while gymnastic boulder problems are like technical downhill sprints. Climbing is slower paced, but very technical and mentally and physically demanding.

Trail running is fairly straightforward in comparison. A fit person could learn to run even the most technical, gnarly trails. The mental fortitude required to run ultras is immense, of course, like that needed in committing mountaineering. For both, there is always the challenge of going farther and faster.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that climbing is more inherently dangerous. You can do your best to monitor the danger level, but a mistake at any time could mean serious injury or death.
What they also have in common is the mental fortitude and toughness required to push at your limit. Both can be lifestyle endeavors—in a way, I hate to even refer to them as sports—attracting a lot a characters. Especially with the core participants, you’ll find some eccentric fringe dwellers, which I like. Of course, I am not one of them …

What kind(s) of climbing do you prefer?

I like steep rock climbing, trad (where you place your own protection), sport and bouldering. I love the kinesthetic feeling of moving over rock. It’s like dance, gymnastics and chess all rolled into one.


What are your favorite trail runs?

That’s easy. My favorite trail runs are summer high-country excursions in my backyard—the Elk Mountains of central Colorado. I love covering ground, getting on above-treeline ridges and soaking in the alpine world. I enjoy the classic area runs, like the famous Four Passes Loop near Aspen, a marathon with wildflowers, high peaks, aspen, spruce and pine forests, lakes and streams. But I revel in more obscure routes, and sometimes go solo, sometimes with friends. I seek the opportunity to see wildlife: elk, deer, bear and smaller critters. Without that, the woods would seem barren.

Even now, I’m scheming some runs for next summer. “It’s the middle of winter!” admonished my wife recently, shaking her head at the maps covering the dining-room table. But just dreaming about the mountains keeps me going.

What have been some of your favorite outdoor experiences?

My most meaningful ones center around bowhunting elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep, with traditional equipment (I prefer its simplicity and beauty). A hunt creates a feeling of connectedness to everything.

I heard that you recently paced one of your co-workers at both the Leadville 100 and Hardrock 100…what was that like?

It was super fun and rewarding. I got to absorb the energy surrounding a 100-miler and not have to suffer the whole race. My friend and co-worker here, Trail Runner’s Senior Editor Garett Graubins, is a trail animal, and I was honored that he asked me to pace him. He is an accomplished ultrarunner, and had the logistics really dialed, with spreadsheets including aid-station ETAs, clothing changes, precise food allotments, even psychological advice on how he might be feeling and how to coach him through it.

Everyone knows Hardrock’s extreme rep, but being there really brought home what a brutal feat it is. At about mile 85 on the last series of climbs, I forged ahead to scope out the trail, which was marked but difficult to follow due to the remnant snow. When Garett caught up, looking a bit bleary, he said, “Michael, would you mind sticking kinda close from here on. Back there, I kept thinking I saw you off in the woods but you weren’t really there.”

What tips would you pass on to anyone who is pacing for the first time? How do you know if you would make a good pacer?

Foremost, you’re there to help your runner, so pay attention to his or her needs. What might cheer you up when you’re suffering might not work for him. Beforehand, have conversations about your runner’s anticipated needs, both physical and emotional, because in the throes of a 100-miler, he may not be very rational.

One of your cohorts told me to ask you about the “Lost Lunch Loop.” What is that?

That’s a funny one. It is a route (named after the fact) in the Elks that I had concocted. I recruited Penn and Kir Newhard and John Fox-Rubin to go. We got a fairly early start, but Penn and Kir had a babysitter for their kids and a curfew. At the trailhead, we hurried out the car.
After a half hour or so, I asked Penn if he could see my purple lunch bag strapped to my hydration pack and he said yes. A couple more miles up the trail, we stopped for a snack, and I discovered my lunch did not make it in my pack. Penn had seen my purple wind jacket. I had no food. My pals said not to worry, they would share, but we had all trimmed our rations to reduce weight. Anyway, the adventure was naturally longer than we had planned for, and despite my friends’ generosity I was bonking pretty hard at about hour nine. I was able to repay my companions with cold beers at the car. We still laugh about that run.

As the Editor of Trail Runner Magazine you have seen some changes in the sport over the last few years. How has it changed, and where do you see it going in the next 5-10 years?

The biggest change is in the sheer numbers of folks running the trails. We are thrilled to see more people out there enjoying the natural environment. It’s become much more mainstream, and you’ll often see articles in big metro papers and magazines.

In addition, the race scene is burgeoning, with races sprouting up all over, from the Midwest to the coasts. It is a great time to be a trail runner, and the magazine is supporting the sport through our Trail Runner Trophy Series, which you know something about. Check out the details for the 2006 Trophy Series at www.trailrunnermag.com.

What are some of the bigger innovations you have seen in the sport?

Well, the beauty of trail running is its simplicity. All you really need is a pair of running shoes and a trail. But today runners have the best gear in history at their disposal.

The most notable gear innovations have really been refinements, mostly directed at making things lighter and more efficient. For example, you can now get a waterproof-breathable jacket under 8 ounces that will pack down to the size of your fist. And several trail shoes introduced in the past couple of years check in at around a feathery 10 ounces.

Do you see any parallels between trail running now and the growth of climbing when you started?

For sure. Climbing experienced a huge growth spurt in the 1990s, but has since flattened out. Trail running is a steep growth phase, but I think we have a long way to go before we plateau.

What is a typical day at work look like for you at Trail Runner Magazine?

It really varies, which I like a lot. In the same day, we might edit, write, choose photos, work on layout designs with the Art Director, review manuscripts and queries, and, of course, go trail running, I mean shoe testing.

A lot of the blog readers love to hear about “lessons learned” (i.e., things that didn’t go right that perhaps they could avoid). With all of your outdoor adventures, I thought you might have one or two. Any you would like to pass on?

Remember your lunch! But most of all, I’d just say to appreciate the outdoors, and do what you can to preserve our wild places.

Thanks for a great interview!

SD

Happy St. Patrick's Day......

Always one of my favorites. When I was a youngster, Chicago was the place to go to celebrate. Green beer, good fun, good food. Hell, they dyed the damn river green.

One year I went up there with a fella I worked with to visit his Daddy. Real Irish folks, unlike myself. His Daddy directed us to a genuine Irish Pub, filled with genuine Irish Folks. Most of them were speaking Gaelic. No green beer in that place.
I was fairly young and basically sat there with my mouth shut and enjoyed things. Every so often someone would break into song and the whole place would join in. Sometimes the songs were in English, sometimes not. I didn't recognize most of them anyway. All of a sudden a little Red Headed Guy stands up and walks to the center of the place. Everyone got real quiet. This Little Dude couldn't have been over 5' 5" and weighted maybe, 130 Lbs. He opened up and starting singing "Danny Boy" in the most beautiful, Tenor I've heard. Before or since. Unbelievable. By the time he was thru, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

I never saw that guy buy a drink all night. He'd get up every hour or so and sing a song, then go sit down with his pals. They all got hammered on his talent.

My Father died on this day 14 years ago. St. Paddys Day was a favorite of his too. I still miss 'em. Have a drink and toast "The 'Ol Man" for me today. I'll be working for the next 3 nights and will have to wait till Monday to Toast 'em Myself.

Can't Kill 'em Quick Enough .....

Bane (see links) noted this bit of news yesterday:
"Child porn ring transmitted acts live on Web: US"
http://tinyurl.com/oqvx7

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. and Canadian authorities said on Wednesday they had cracked an international child pornography network that in some cases transmitted molestations live over the Internet.
"These are the worst imaginable forms of child pornography," said U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, adding that one case involved the abuse of a toddler less than 18 month old.
Twenty-seven people from nine U.S. states and Canada, Australia and Britain, are charged with possession, receipt, distribution and manufacture of child pornography in connection with the case, authorities said.

What the hell is wrong with people? I hope they all die before they even get to trial.

Rope. Tree. Kiddie Porn Perv. Some assembly required.

Or maybe this would work:

Indiana is a Strange Place ........

South Bend is up North.
North Vernon is down South.

French Lick? Not. Even. Close.

Good Queen Buffness and I will be heading off to points unknown next week. Well, unknown to y'all anyway.

This is our annual getaway time and if I ever needed a Mental hygiene Enema, now is that time. I'm burnt to a crisp right now. Nothing special planned, just gonna lay around and kick back somewhere other than here. See a movie or 2 and maybe remind my Liver of how nice I've been to it for the last few years. I'm looking forward to it. The Queen and I can both use a little R&R. At this point, it doesn't look like the weather is gonna be all that great, so I'll probably leave the Big Blue, Plastic Kawasaki home. The Queen doesn't care to freeze her Royal Butt off and it would be rude of me to dump her alone and ride all day by myself. Could be worse.

Beezer Update ..........







OK, Things have been a bit quiet on the BritBike front as of late. The good news is that progress is being made. Hey, I heard it run this morning. Started up real nice and even idled by its' own self.
My fragile male ego was originally weeping and gnashing about having to admit I needed some help with getting this thing sorted out.

I've gotten over it.

Roger the Brit Guy, has been a huge help in schoolin' me about this bike. He knows these things inside and out and has taught me a BUNCH of stuff I wouldn't have found out about till it broke. I wish he lived a little closer so I could get over there a bit more frequently and hang around while he works. He's a natural teacher and seems to enjoy enlightening me. Not in a "Look how smart I am" way either. Nice guy. He pointed out many little things that were not right and explained how he's corrected them. He's a bit slow, as far as what he's gotten done for the time it's been there, but that's all right. Mine ain't the only bike he's been working on. He has been going over it from one end to the other and tweaking here and there. This bike, like most BritBikes, has been passed around and dicked with by a bunch of folks over the last 35 years. Subsequently, there's a lot of little flaws and things to be fixed. Shit I wouldn't have seen either.

So far - New electronic ignition, coils and Podtronics. Real spark, all the time! Steering dampener. Fork springs, seals and wipers. Carbs rebuilt. Several rounded off, broken off and stripped bolts/fasteners replaced or repaired. Kick start and shift lever fixed and/or setup properly. Chain adjusters fixed. Speedo housing and cable setup right. Brakes & bearings, front and rear, setup or replaced. Handlebar switches put in the proper place and wired correctly. Sump on the frame cleaned out. Footpegs mounted correctly, rear motormount bolt ... Oh shit, there's a bunch more too.
I ordered all new cables from Rabers the other day and I'll replace them all when it gets back here also.

I found a guy right here in town that had a set of gauges. Proper type and like new. So I'll get those put on later too.

I've got a new tank too. Expensive as hell, but it's what I wanted. My tank has a leak (2 actually) and getting it fixed is gonna require some time and repainting, so I figured I may as well get a tank that I like. Here's what I bought:










This style tank was only for non-export bikes. All the US Bikes had little bitty ass 2.2 gallon tanks like this:

That's what my bike looked like 1 paint job ago. You can see the bars have also been changed from when this was taken, along with the addition of an oil cooler.

Surly is gonna help me design and make a different set of sidecovers. I just don't like the ugly ass ones that are on it now. I've got a set of velocity stacks, so the airbox and filters can be replaced.

I'm still thinking of a paint scheme for it. I'm leaning towards British Racing Green or Dark Blue with a similar white panel and striping like what's on the new tank. Not sure about any design on the sidecovers. We'll see.

The pipes are pretty beat up and will have to be replaced eventually. I don't know whether to go with a 2 into 1 setup, stock or maybe some upswept or backswept pipes. Not a priority right now anyway.

Trying to decide if I should try to make a fiberglass, Boat tail seat myself or buy a Corbin like this one:

http://www.corbin.com/triumph/vintlist.shtml

Again, not a priority anytime soon. The Corbin is not all that much though .... Jebus! A guy can spend a fortune on these damn bikes. Even with the purchase price and all I put into it last year, shocks, tires and tubes, tail light, wiring, switches, headlight loom, etc. I'll still have less than I do in the Big Blue, Plastic Kawasaki. And I'm never gonna get rid of it anyway, so who gives a shit?

Last Saturday, I drove through the snow-filled Sierras to join 400 trail runners for the 2006 Way Too Cool 50k (WTC) in Cool, CA. This popular race has grown to be one of the biggest trail 50k’s in the nation, selling out in a matter of minutes. Thanks to a transfer entry from a healing Scott Wolfe, I got my first chance to see why so many people sign up for this race year after year.

When I arrived at 7:30am (30 minutes to go time), the start area was packed with eager runners. The pervasive family atmosphere warmed up the 38-degree morning in a blanket of hugs and hellos, as many of the “Western States” clan caught up with each other. For many trail runners, the WTC marks the beginning of the 2006 trail running season and a chance to see how your winter training is going. It’s also a chance to challenge the elements – as Race Director Greg Soderlund’s e-mail warned “come prepared for anything…you’re likely in for a true adventure”.

Greg was right. One quick glance at the trail conditions confirmed ankle deep mud every couple hundred of feet, plenty of water run-off weaving through the rocky single track areas, and streams too large to jump. Throw in the potential for snow, and it was clear that staying warm was going to be crucial to having a good race. I opted for a rain jacket, gloves, a hat, my wool Injinji tsoks, Inov-8 Flyroc 310’s (since they drain the best), and, remembering my race at last year’s Rucky Chucky, gaiters. I also brought two water bottles (one with water, one with water and Hammer Gel, both with pockets full of hourly servings of E-Caps and Endurolytes). At 8am, I lined up at the start and wished everyone well.

The WTC course is well-designed for a large group of trail runners. The first two miles are on a wide paved road going right by the parked cars, allowing the fast runners to get by and the ability to strip off a layer of clothing and toss it to you vehicle. As I tossed some extra clothes to my car, I almost hit a guy running to the start – it was Chikara Omine, running a few minutes late. No worries, he made it to the start, turned around, and passed nearly all of us before we hit the muddy fire roads around mile 2.5.

As the runners spread out, we each had more room to try out our respective strategies for attacking the mud. Some went straight through the puddles, while others danced around the edges. I tried to stay dry, but as the puddles became trenches, it was clear that everyone was going to be soaked by mile 5. One guy went down on his hands and knees, filling his water bottle with mud. Then I heard a loud ‘SHLOP!’ as the mud sucked a runner up to his calf right in front of me. As he laughed it off, I recognized it was Aaron Summerhays, whom I had met at the Tahoe Rim 50k. He was looking pretty good and took off ahead of me – I guess his “three kids under three” training plan was keeping him light on his toes.

We crossed Hwy 49, and weaved down single track on our way down to the Quarry Road trail along the American River. Everyone turned on their afterburners, kicking up mud from their treads like monster trucks. It felt good to warm up the muscles a bit more. Many of the runners I thought were “just in front of me” were already long gone, including Meghan Arbogast (Corvallis, OR) and Jamie Donaldson (Littleton, CO) who both looked to be having a great race.

Brown’s Bar was the first steep hill of the race at mile 9, taking us atop the canyon hills. My watch read 34 degrees – about five degrees colder than the start of the race – but I was still feeling warm. The stream crossings were cold enough to numb my toes, but they would warm up within 4-5 minutes of running. I hit the top of the hike and headed along the Western States trail, occasionally getting peeks of the clouds hanging onto the steep mountain canyon. A small snow flurry welcomed me on the exposed section of the trail, but it wasn’t enough to accumulate on the ground. Good thing – a snow storm half the size of what I drove through to get here would change this race into a survival game in minutes. I was thankful that Mother Nature was pausing on her snowstorm to let us enjoy our run.

Distracted by the beautiful countryside, I was surprised to come upon the Auburn Trails/Dead Truck aid station at mile 14. Cold-but-happy volunteers poured soup and refilled my water bottles with NASCAR efficiency, and they let me know they would be seeing me again once I finished the 6.4 mile loop in front of me. They cheered me off, and I charged up the hill.

The volunteers at WTC are AMAZING, and there is clearly a small army of them. I recognized many of the faces as racers from other ultras, Cool and Auburn locals, and family members of people out on the trail. Hundreds of hours had been poured into cutting back overgrowth, setting up large aid stations with hot goodies, and flawlessly marking the trail. It takes a village to put on a race like WTC, and I can’t thank them enough when their smiles boost my stride with every aid station.

The course weaved down to the Dead Truck trail (I didn’t see the Dead Truck, but had forgotten to look), and I put on some tunes to accompany the descent (Raconteurs, The Tramps, Crystal Method, and DJ Chicken George). Before I knew it, we were heading back up again, this time up the fiendishly steep Ball Bearing. I caught up to Aaron Summerhays, who was still smiling and having a great time. Despite 400 runners, he had been the first face I had seen in over an hour. We hit the Dead Truck aid station (mile 20.8) within minutes of each other, along with two others who made a fast pace up Ball Bearing. We talked briefly, agreeing that although Ball Bearing was supposedly the hardest climb, the upcoming Goat Hill was also tough due to its steepness and placement at the marathon mark. A few runners were still coming along the Western States trail as we headed out, and were all very nice about stepping aside. Most of them walked in packs of 3-4, laughing and smiling along the way. They were thrilled to hear that soup was close by. ;-)

Goat Hill kills me every time, and this time was no different. It just…keeps….going….up!!! By the time I hit the top, I was dizzy. I saw a sign that said “meet God at the Goat Hill aid station” and thought I was hallucinating. I arrived at the aid stations and said, “which one of you is God?”. They all pointed to ultrarunning legend Norm Klein, who came out and gave me a blessing. I enjoyed another cup of soup as we laughed, and welcomed Ron Gutierrez (San Francisco, CA) into the aid station. I had met Ron at a few short-course races in the Bay Area, and he looked to be having a great ultra.

The last few miles went by easily as we weaved our way back up to Cool, CA, along the Western States trail. David Leipsic (San Rafael, CA) had a great pace going the last few miles and paced me up the final hill. I put in a final kick to try and catch the legendary Scott McCoubrey (Seattle, WA), but he had enough juice left to beat me by a minute. I finished in 4:36 for 39th place, still smiling but eager to find a heater for my frozen toes.

In the tent, I huddled around the space heater with AJ (who had run WTC faster than his Boston Marathon time), Jean Pommier (a 2:37 marathoner and Boston masters top 10 finisher; this was his first trail ultra, and he clocked 4:30), and Andy Jones-Wilkins (recent 100-mile US Champion, finishing WTC in 4:12). I had learned that 27-year-old Phil Kochik (Seattle, WA) had won in an insanely fast 3:37, with Bryan Dayton (Boulder, CO), Paul DeWitt (Monument, CO), 48-year-old Roy Rivers (Mill Valley, CA), Scott Jaime (Highland Ranch, CO), Erik Skaden (Folsom, CA), Chikara Omine (SF, CA), and 50-year-old Mark Richtman (Novato, CA) all finishing under 4 hours, with John Ticer not too far off that pace. Joelle Vaught (Boise, ID) took nearly a half an hour off her 2005 time to win the women’s division in 4:17, just ahead of Craig Thornley.

I dug into my goody bag for dry clothes (shirt, sweatshirt, AND gloves – yes!), hit the hose to wipe off the poison oak, and cranked my heated seats up to 11 for the drive back to Tahoe. The WTC had definitely been an adventure as promised, and I had a great time. Future racers note that I used all the gear I brought, so be sure to pack for anything Mother Nature can dish out.

My thanks to Greg Soderlund and the volunteers of WTC for putting on a spectacular race! I will add pics once a bunch are posted.

Cheers, SD

This Could Be a Huge Breakthrough ....

From the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4801728.stm

Really interesting article on research using nanotech for regrowth of nerve tissue. This could be a big deal if they get it worked out. From the sound of it, it works to some extent.

I hope this Nanotech idea works so I can quit listening to the Stem Cell debate.
Screw a bunch of all the BS about which stem cells are better. Nanotech would be nice, as all that Stem cell shit is just another abortion debate anyway. Personally, I'm sick of hearing about how important it is to kill babies and harvest cells for Christopher Reeve and Michael J. Fox.

You Can't Make This Shit Up ......

From Yahoo News...
http://tinyurl.com/n6u94

Chicago Requires Driver's Ed for the Blind
CHICAGO - Most high school students eagerly await the day they pass driver's education class. But 16-year-old Mayra Ramirez is indifferent about it.

Ramirez is blind, yet she and dozens of other visually impaired sophomores in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam in order to graduate — a rule they say takes time away from subjects they might actually use......

This is why real life stuff is waaaaay better.

Few ultrarunners can claim a two-year streak winning every distance from marathons to 100k’s. Anne Riddle Lundblad can. This 39-year-old mother and counselor from Asheville, NC, has been tearing up the ultra scene since she started in 1999. 2004 was a banner year, when she won both the US Trail Marathon and 50km Championships. How could she top that for 2005? Here’s how! In 2005, she placed 2nd in the International Association of Ultrarunners World Cup 100K in Lake Saroma, Japan, helping lead the U.S. women's team to a gold medal finish (Anne was only 41 seconds behind the gold medal winner). She also won the Mountain Masochist 50 Mile (course record), the JFK 50 Mile (course record at the world’s largest 50-mile race), the Promise Land 50k, the Carrboro 50k (tied for first), the Mount Mitchell Challenge, and the Virginia Creeper Marathon (course record). Whew! It was no surprise she capped the year by being named the USATF Female Ultrarunner of the Year, received an Everest Award from the Teva Mountain Games, and just last weekend, won the USATF 50k Road Championships for a 7th consecutive time.

How does Anne do it?!? Maybe it’s because her husband, Mark Lundblad, is also an accomplished ultrarunner (2005 outcomes include winning the Black Mountain Marathon in insane conditions, a 2nd at the Holiday Lake 50k, 3rd at the Promise Land 50k, and more). Maybe it’s because she runs a counseling business to help athletes find their internal best. I caught up with her over e-mail to see what I could find out.

Congratulations on an amazing year! Did you have any idea 2005 would have so many consistent finishes across all those distances?

No, I didn’t. Wrapping up 2004 the way I did, I really felt as if I had reached the pinnacle of my running potential. As I get older, and my daughter grows up and has her own activities, I keep telling myself that each year of racing will be my last…but then the bug bites again and I feel like I need to continue to challenge myself. In 2005, my racing didn’t necessarily get off to a great start for me. I got married in December, 2004, and between holidays and the honeymoon, wasn’t in peak condition by the time January rolled around. The spring season was a bit disappointing for me, but I kept at it, knowing that my larger goals (the 100k championships and JFK) were later in the year.

Tell us a little about your experience in Japan, and being a part of such a great US team for the 100k championships. With less than a minute between you and the leader, it must have been a race to the finish!

I went into that race fairly confidently, knowing that I had trained harder than ever before and was in good shape. After a brief injury scare a month before the race, I arrived in Japan ready to race. We had an awesome US team, both talent-wise and personalities. It’s interesting how we can all race against one another throughout the year, track one another’s performances across the country, and view each other as competition here in the States – but as soon as we get to the World Cup, we are the most cohesive team I have ever been a part of.

The race itself was interesting. I had no idea that I was that close to the leader. I started off the race in about 6th place and gradually worked my way up. At 90k, there was a turnaround and I estimated that I was about 10 minutes behind the leader, so I had no illusions of trying to catch her. Rather, I yelled “Gambatte!” (Japanese for “go!”) and gave her a smile. At 98k, our US team manager told me I was 4 minutes back, and I still had no thoughts about reeling her in. Had I known that I would end up in second by only 41 seconds, maybe I could’ve dug deeper…I don’t know. As it was, it was one of those races that you finish and pretty much collapse into the arms of the closest person. People say that with another quarter of a mile I could have caught her…but I’m not sure that I could’ve run another 400 meters!

The US team took gold in Japan. Who else was on the team?

Our women’s team consisted of Nikki Kimball, Tania Pacev, Ann Heaslett, Anthea Schmid, and Karen Scott. All amazing ultra and trail runners. Nikki, Tania, Ann and I had all been on prior US teams, so we have a fair amount of international experience, which really helps in that sort of setting.

You raced a lot in 2005. How many races do you like to do each year?

2005 was a big year for me. I raced eight ultras, one trail marathon, and a few shorter races. Each December, I plan out the year ahead. I usually choose two to three races to key on – one or two per season, then choose other events as training efforts to build up to the big ones.
I have heard that you vary your races between trails and paved roads, and compete in nearly all distances. Is that always the case, or do you focus more on one terrain/distance as certain races get closer?

I’m a big fan of the well-rounded runner. I can’t stand it when “roadies” put down ultras or trail races because of the slower pace, and similarly, I hate it when trail snobs talk trash about road races. I think there is a place for all types of competition – terrain and distance. For me, that keeps things interesting.

When did you start trail running? Have you always been an athlete?

I started running at age 14, basically because I wasn’t good enough to make the high school soccer team. My parents told me about cross-country, which sounded like fun. I liked the idea of running through fields, up and down hills, and over streams. I ran competitively throughout high school and college, then took a break from racing for several years. I discovered trail running while living in Boulder, but didn’t run my first trail race until moving to the mountains of western North Carolina in 1993.


How has your counseling business helped your performance? Can you tell us more about it?

Actually, my counseling business developed as an outgrowth of my own racing. I began using mental training techniques in 2001, while preparing for my first national championship race. Over the past few years, I have continued to explore the mind+body connection and have seen it really impact my own performances. I hadn’t really thought about it in terms of developing a business until a friend suggested it earlier this year. It made a lot of sense to share with others what has worked so well for me. So now I do it as a small side business, continuing with my main job as a college counselor. What has evolved is sort of a combination of coaching, motivating, and inspiring. I work with athletes to help them develop specific psychological tools to aid performance, and have also begun counseling injured athletes who are dealing with the emotional aspects of physical injury.

What inspires you to run? And keep up the training?

I don’t know if I could even say what inspires me any more. After twenty-five years of running, my daily run is as natural as brushing my teeth. I don’t even think “why” – it’s more where, when, and how far. For me, it’s a chance to be alone in the woods – to clear my head and find my connection with nature – basically, to get myself grounded before I spend all day counseling other people on their problems or parenting my daughter.

Now training is another matter. There are days when it is really, really hard to get on the track for an interval workout or to head out for a long run in nasty weather. That’s where goals come in…I am always thinking about my next race and how this particular workout fits into the overall plan.

Do you use pacers? It seems like Mark is always running the race with you, and I don’t suppose your six-year-old can quite keep up.

Most of the races I compete in don’t allow pacers. Mark did pace me in my first (and possibly, only) 100 miler, Vermont. It was not such a fun experience. Mark tried his best to support and encourage me, but overall, I think there would have been a lot less whining on my part if I had chosen a pacer who was not also my spouse!

What does Emma think about mom and dad going for these crazy runs?

Emma’s at that age where she is beginning to ask every once in a while, “Why do you have to go run again?” That breaks my heart and I try my hardest to get my runs in while she’s not around, so as not to take time away from her. Sometimes that involves long runs on the treadmill after she’s gone to bed. Not ideal training, but you do what you have to do. She does get a kick out of all my trophies, however, which she keeps in her room. At my last race, I won a plaque instead of a trophy and she said, “Mom, you know I’m collecting trophies, not plaques. You’d better get a trophy at your next one.” I hope that as she grows up, I can be a role model for her – not necessarily around running, but more in terms of finding your passion and pursuing your dreams. Right now she’s saying she doesn’t want to be a runner, she wants to be an artist – which is just fine with me.

Asheville, NC, seems like an ideal place for training and racing. Have you always lived there? Where do you train the most?

I grew up in a rural area of Virginia, moved to Colorado for graduate school, and returned east in 1993. I wanted to be closer to family, and Asheville seemed like the natural choice because of the variety of outdoor sports and the beautiful setting.

What are some of your favorite races/locations?

I’d have a hard time choosing, because there are so many races I love for a variety of reasons. I’ve only run one West Coast race, and the scenery was spectacular, so I’ve been meaning to get back out there. We have great races in NC and VA – beautiful, technical trails, big climbs, tough competition. I especially enjoy some of the races put on in the Lynchburg area by David Horton. He’s a terrific race director and his races are notoriously challenging.

Lastly, a few training questions. What’s a typical training week look like for you? How many miles? When do you add in speed work?

My training varies according to the time of the year. I’m a big fan of periodization, so I’ll usually begin the year building base, anywhere from 75-90 miles per week, mostly easy trail runs. During the 10-11 weeks before a big race I’ll start focusing on the speed stuff – usually one interval session on the track and 1-2 tempo runs. During my peak, I’ll reach about 95-105 mpw, usually done in 10 runs. I usually try to have two periods during the year – last year it was January and July – when I’m really taking it easy, running simply by feel and doing a fair amount of cross-training.

Mark is an elite trail runner as well. Does he ever get bummed out about getting “chicked” by his wife?

Well, technically he’s never been “chicked”, as he always beats me pretty handily. There was a close call at JFK last year, when I got on the towpath and caught a glimpse of him up ahead. I thought, “Oh no. He’s not having a good day and things could be rough in the hotel room tonight if I end up beating him.” It turns out that he had been stopped by the train for over ten minutes. Once he got back into his groove (and saw me behind him), he picked up the pace and that was the end of that.

What are your favorite foods/race snacks?

In races, I have had success with products by Hammer Nutrition – Hammer Gel and Sustained Energy. I’ll also drink a bottle of Ensure during a longer race – 100k or over. Outside of racing, I have a huge sweet tooth and make sure to get some chocolate into my diet every day.

Do you cross-train at all in other sports?

I used to climb and mountain bike quite a bit, but since I have become competitive in running – and since becoming a mom – I don’t have time or energy for much besides running. The exception is when I am injured or just worn out and feel a potential injury coming on – I do a fair amount of pool running in those situations.

A lot of the blog readers love to hear about “lessons learned” (ie, things that didn’t go right that perhaps they could avoid). Any you would like to pass on?

Almost all of the negative – and I’m reluctant to even use that term – let’s just say the races that didn’t go as well as planned – have to do with taking on other peoples’ goals and expectations instead of listening to my own heart and body. Ever since I began receiving regional and national attention for my running, it seems that every time I show up for a race, people have expectations that I should be able to run this or that time, win, etc. Sometimes I know that I’m not 100% fit or healthy, or maybe a particular race is really supposed to be more of a training effort for me, but it’s easy to let others’ expectations dictate how I feel about my performance. So I guess the number one lesson I’ve learned is to identify my goal for a particular race, write it down, and not listen to what others say.

Other big mistakes I’ve made include trying to train through a serious injury, or trying to race too soon after an injury. Although I still train very hard, I try my best to listen to my body and back off when necessary.

And one real “nuts and bolts” mistake I made when training for my first 100 mile race was not practicing the walk breaks. In those long mountain races, most competitors spend a significant amount of time power hiking. I wasn’t physically or mentally prepared for that, and it resulted in me having a pretty negative attitude and experience during the latter stages of the race (hence the pacer issue I mentioned before.)

Any tips you would like to pass on to somebody trying their first ultra? How about a first 100km race (such as me)?

The main thing is just logging the miles, day in and day out. Although we runners tend to brag mostly about our long runs or speed workouts, because they’re more exciting and inspiring, I think it’s the daily runs that are the bread and butter of training. There is simply no substitute for weeks, months, even years of developing a base and teaching your body to adapt to a gradually increasing workload.

Having said that, however, I will contradict myself and say that I really believe speed work is crucial, no matter what level athlete you are. It doesn’t have to be a formal interval session on the track – something as simple as a fartlek in which you run 4-5 five minute “pick ups” in the middle of a run will work a different muscle set and energy system, making you more efficient over the long haul.

What’s next on the race/run agenda? Any plans for ’06?

Your readers probably won’t approve of this, but ’06 is going to be a road year for me. My three key races will be the National 50k Championships in Long Island in March (Anne has already won this race), Grandma’s Marathon in June, and the World Cup 100km in Korea in October. I want to get on the roads to see if I have any speed left in these almost 40-year-old legs!

I wish you and Mark the best of luck. Thanks for a great interview!

Thanks! Best of luck to you too!

- SD

Since We're On The Subject of AFDB's ........

As I noted in the previous post below, an "Aluminum Foil Deflector Beenie" or AFDB, is crucial to some folks well being. Maybe Yours. But for sure, the guy who owns this car needs one.















I was helping the oldest Son, Therapy Boy, move last week and this was parked along the street near his new place. Wow! You can't believe the shit that's glued on that car.

And a little close up action .... Just to give you a better idea of the artistry on this thing.













I asked him if it had been parked there when he came to look at the apartment originally. Of course, I already knew what the answer was gonna be, he said yes.

It's to bad you can't see the "Millennium Falcon" on the hood in these pictures.
Yes, I do admire the creativity that went into this thing.

And yes, I told him to be real polite to the owner when he sees him.

And Now For Something Completely Different ....


Just because I care. Well that and I'm thinking Surly (www.surlycamera.com) may be affected by mind control beams. He's been talking all weird lately about secrets and Asshole Spamming" me here. Clearly, "Something is amiss at the CircleK, Bill".

Consider this a Publik Service Bulletin and go here:
http://zapatopi.net/afdb/
Do it now! For the Children. Before it's to late.
Remember, Shiny side out!

A Social Worker Finally ... Snaps

OK, This rant may or may not be real. There is no real way of knowing as it's an anonymous posting on craigslist.
http://blog.mu.nu/cgi/mt-tb.cgi/155958

As an ER worker, I don't have a hell of a lot of trouble believing that shit like this occurs - I know it does. I see fucked up people doing fucked up shit to their kids all the time.

And people wonder why I'm such a cynical SOB.
Hat tip to Ace. One of my favorites and over on the right there ->

More Comment Section Notes ........

Well, I went back and looked around at all the comments and it's like ........... Damn, I'm a Dumbass.

Also, who are these people?
Example - Woolybugger? http://wooleysrant.blogspot.com/ He's a North Carolina Guy it seems who's infected with the motorcycle virus too.

Here's another-
http://thedeploymentdiary.blogspot.com/ It seems that this Army Wife has quit blogging and maybe started another somewhere else. Sorry I didn't get to meet her.

My Dumbassishness has deprived me of meeting, what seem to be, interesting folks. Bummer.

It Seems That My Comments Section Was NFG ........
Surly (See - The Kid - on the links bar) emailed me this morning and asked if my comments for this thing were turned off or some shit. Of course, I was like WTF? So I went digging around in the settings Department and sure enough, I had the comments set for some kind of "Moderated" BS.

Now there are random comments scattered around in the archives back till last November or there 'bouts.

I was wondering why I never got any comments anymore and just assumed it's because I'm an Asshole and y'all were just to nice to say so.

I've got 'em fixed now - I think. So, if any of you feel the need to just be yourself and call me an Asshole, I think it'll post your comment now.

Oh, Hell. Somebody give me a shout out so I can see if this shit is working.

OK Ladies, You Made the Mistake of Marrying a Liberal ....
And now you want to have kids. There IS hope.

Patriot Guard Ride Monday .........
Got to ride and stand with the PGR yesterday morning in Kokomo for U.S. Army Sgt Rickey Jones' funeral.
You may or may not be aware of the local hatred exhibited towards the family in the form of vandalism (eggs on the house and stolen flag's) and harassing, obscene (Glad He's dead) phone calls last week. http://tinyurl.com/gen2h

Coupled with the announcement that the Phelps Family Circus, (with Fred Hissef') would be making an appearance at the funeral, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Glad I went. The PGR and several other groups were there in huge numbers. Well over 100 bikes. One media report I saw estimated 200. I lost track trying to count 'em, but I can believe 200 w/o any problem. Lots of folks showed up in cars and trucks too.

FLAGS!! It was beautiful. Hundreds of flags and riders all up the drive and around the entire lot.

As you can see from the photos, the weather was lousy. Just above freezing at 33 degrees. The roads were wet, but not to slippery overall. I worked till 3:30am Monday morning and went straight home and got the gear on for the ride. It was about 40+ and misty when I left home, but got progressively colder the further North I went.
I stopped on the North side of Indy to get some coffee and warm up a bit and several riders pulled up and we rode the last 25 miles together, picking up small groups along the way. About 20 of us ended up riding to the staging area at the local High School.

The Phelps Family was a noshow. They may be Bastard Rat, MoFo, Lawyers - Wait, that's redundant isn't it? But they're smart enough to know when to stay away. With the BS that had gone on last week, things were a bit tense around Kokomo. I don't think there would have been any problems even if they had showed.

The PGR folks were all cool and professional and the Law enforcement groups (State, County and Local) had everything under control and organized nicely.

The legislators passed a bill last week limiting what, and how close protestors can be, along w/ increasing the penalty to felony status for disruptions. Now the PGR would be liable under the same statute if they misbehaved, but everyone was focused on doing the right thing and not bashing the Phelps' so I don't think it would have mattered.
If you look at the pictures you'll see the fog got so thick during our time at the funeral site, no one would have been able to see a protestor anyway. The State Police had a nice, out of the way spot set up for them, where they could protest - or whatever the hell it is they do - safely. Very well set up, within the legal bounds of the law, but out of the main flow of traffic to effectively make them a nonfactor. The Fog would have made them virtually invisible.

It's pretty funny that the Fog began to lift as soon as the service ended.

I didn't make the last leg of the ride past the Burial site and on to the American Legion. I'd been up for 24 hours by then and was frozen already. I hauled ass South and homeward after the Service.

It was a long day, but immensely gratifying to support the Family of this Hero.
Here's a link to a very nicely done photo tribute by the local media:
http://tinyurl.com/fn6df

Some Pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/j48zn
And here: http://www.marineriders.org/kokomo_1

In my on-going attempt to give product feedback/ideas to our favorite outdoor manufacturers (see the iPod t-shirt, brush guards, and the ever-popular Nut-Tsak), here's a new one that I would love to have. Let me know what you think!

If you like the idea, please link to it from your blog and feel free to add any thoughts on design or use. My hope is that if Camelbak, Jansport, Kelty, EMS, Deuter, North Face, Polar, etc., see a thousand bloggers linking to it, the market demand will be clear. My goal is simply this - get some new cool toys on the market!

Product Idea - The Camelbak© Fluid Intake Monitor

Every endurance athlete knows that carefully monitoring your fluid intake can be the difference between a great race and a DNF. So why hasn't anyone created a fluid monitor that can help you measure and track your hourly intake?

A fluid intake monitor could help you measure and understand your fluid intake in different climates. Similar to a heart rate monitor, you could measure your pace, then put in a desired pace and be alerted if you are over/under. The monitor would also tell you when your last "sip" was and how much you drank.

The buttons on the side could be used for other settings too, such as manual entry for liquids consumed at aid stations (flat Coke!), setting notifications for salt tablets (either hourly or based on fluid intake, such as "alert me every 30 oz"), or adjusting your target rate based on temperature.

Let's use me as a case example. Once I moved up to the ultras, I experimented on training runs to find that 28 oz/hour is my ideal rate for a typical California day (low elevation, less than 70 degrees). By "ideal rate", I mean that I feel good, don't have water sloshing in my stomach, am peeing regularly, and after a 2-3 hour run, my weight is about the same as when I started. A Fluid Intake Monitor could have helped me measure this and dial in my ideal rate at various conditions, as well as measure it during races to make sure I'm keeping pace. I would definitely set alarms for salt tablets too, since I prefer to drink water. I could easily see the alerts reminding me to drink as I began spacing off in the latter half of the race, keeping me from getting into too much trouble.

My engineering buddies tell me that a simple fluid monitor running on a single AAA battery could be constructed for less than $25, but that fluid monitors are known to have all kinds of issues (clogging, sticking, etc.). If somebody like Camelbak could make it reliable, I wouldn't have any trouble dropping $100-150 on something like this. I spent well over that on my Polar S720, and I consider it one of the better investments I have made in training equipment.

Thanks in advance to all of you for your feedback!

- SD