Network Marketing Slogan of the Day

“When you’re down, call your upline. When you’re up, call your downline.”

Word.

"Twenty-Six Miles Not Far"

Six Maasai warriors from Tanzania will run the London Marathon wearing sandals made of car tires — and taking in no water. "Back at home we sometimes run for 5 or 6 days, day and night," said one young warrior. "Twenty-six miles not far." They hope to raise enough money to find a fresh water source for their community. Reuters story.

Race Report: O'Fallon Springtime 15K Challenge

My knee had been feeling better and the forecast was dry, so super-FOA Jamie and I signed up for the 15K over in Illinois. We didn't know what to expect in terms of the crowd, the course, or the competition. It was colder than expected and so I went with tights, long sleeves, gloves and an ear-wrap. More than 300 runners made the starting line, running in the same direction to begin with, but then splitting into three routes of 5K, 10K, and 15K. The race director informed us that these were "super races," which apparently is a nice way of saying "longer than advertised." Each race was about 3/10 of a mile too long.

Once the 15Kers made the left turn, I could see that there were four elites already separating themselves from the field. I was in the second pack. Hit the 1-mile mark thinking it shouldn't have felt so hard. The wind was strong. Rick decided the pace was too easy and made his break, leaving me and another guy to trade off 6th and 7th place. We ran stride for stride without saying a word for another three miles. Not one word. But it actually felt like we were having a conversation. Work the uphills, cruise the downhills, keep an eye on the leaders, still visible in the straightaway distance. Keep an eye on the other guy. Is he hurting? Am I? Can he hold this pace? Can I? How old is he? Looks like a foreigner to me. Maybe German. He's in good shape. I hope when I'm his age.... Not one word. I'm enjoying this conversation I thought to myself.

At the first water stop, 4+ miles in, I was dry and concerned about the lack of water stations. I slowed and took water. Mr. Talkative did not, and was quickly 15 yards ahead. He looked to see if I would catch up, and I tried, but it wasn't going to happen. I spent the next five miles keeping him in my sights, gradually falling back. There were some lonely sections. Nobody around. No volunteers, no spectators, no signs. The garage sale sign almost tricked me into making the wrong turn. There was even a roundabout where you had to choose your own path to circumnavigate. That's a big decision to make after eight miles near the anaerobic zone.

As I neared the exit of the neighborhood, my watch crossed the 1-hour mark and the finish was in sight. Rick (5th place) was running back on the cool down and pointed me to the finish. Through the increasing morning traffic, I made it into the parking lot and crossed the line for 7th overall, 2nd 30-39.

I grabbed a drink and a coat and headed back up course to see Jamie come flying around the corner as one of the top women finishers. Although a little hobbled, she managed 2nd place in her age group!

Zac smashed the course record, going under 50 minutes and deservedly picking up the prize money. Activated!