Claude,
This year's Salem Lake Frosty Fifty was "Freakin' Frigid" after a storm on Friday covered the course with a 3" blanket of snow.
The temperature at the start was 210 F with a steady wind blowing across the cold lake. It would be difficult day for traction
because the afternoon temperature never topped 340 F.
Byron Backer, Dan Besse, Keith Wood, Mark Long, Robert Calabria, Tony Rouse, and I from the RFH along with a few familiar
faces like David King, Konrad Gannon, 4-5 guys from the Mangum TC, and a couple of Balti-morons from MD and Northern VA
were among the 60+ runners who came ready to race.
Normally, I am very skeptical about running any race organized by a lawyer. Not only is Besse a lawyer he is also a politician
too, being an elected member of the W-S Board of Aldermen. Needless to say, each runner received a one-page handout of City
Park Rules and Regulations (Fine print too ... 10 pt text) with each race number. Absent were the usual campaign leaflets. I
guess Dan is not up for re-election this year. Howsome-danm-ever, in his effort to be PC. Dan left out the my favorite statutes
about lewd and licentious behavior in public parks.
This brings my report back to Byron. "That boy ain't right!" At the start, I am dresses in thermal underwear, tights, long sleeve
turtleneck, long sleeve t-shirt, a wool pullover, a nylon wind shirt, gloves, and hat. With all my winter running gear on, I am
'shaking like a dog passing peach pits'. Byron is just standing there in a running singlett and shorts. Besse, Konrad and 2
other Byron wannabees are are kited out in shorts.
The course is a simple out-n-back affair:
Run Fast - Turn Left for 8 Miles
Turn Around
Run Fast and Turn Right for the 8 Mile Return.
Repeat On
It was a cold slippery day. On the 2nd lap, I met the leader returning @ the 3.5 mi Aid Station. He was paying the price for a fast
3+ Hr 50K pace. Byron was 2nd about 1 mi behind the fast guy. Human flesh is not suppose to be that color. Byron was really
looking scary, but he running with determination. Besse was 13th and his color also defied living hues. Mark, Tony and the
Mangum guys had a good day. In the end, I was really happy with my 5:26 ... If I had run 10 minutes slower, I could have run my
number ... 536. As always, the beer @ the finish was cold and the drive home was short.
Next week, many of us are going over to Alan Firth's house in King for the '1 Mo Run' ... the NC FA 50s. You have just got to love
3 races in 3 weeks.
Regards,
BK