Masters Weekend Races and Runs

Spikez,

Yes, those folks went thru a lot. My father-in-law speaks fondly of the German guards in prison camp. The prisoners were feed a diet of bread that was high in fiber and caused great flatulence. They referred to the guards as "goons," and the bread became known as "goon bread." After awhile even the German guards referred to the bread as "goon bread." The flyers received Red Cross packages that included cigarettes, and the prisoners traded cigs with the Germans for food items.

I think my father-in-law became an alcoholic during the war in part because the air crews were given liberal access to booze. My father-in-law tells a story of their beer run to Cairo. Also, when the beer was warm in Sicily, they would load it up on the B-24 and take it up 20,000 feet!

I imagine with the attrition rate they had, you had to do things like that to keep your sanity. It make one feel fortunate, and makes you also reflect on how many Americans are spoiled. People, me included, go about their affairs while people are dying in Iraq; I/we take a lot for granted.

Ghost of Igloi

Watch, that's a pretty good time. Are you going to run the Capitol Mile this year? It would be nice if you would.

I'm on the other side of the running world....ultrarunning.

Ran a couple of 80+ mile weeks and followed that up with a 50+ this past week, mostly slow, about 8-9 mpm. I throw in a couple of tempo runs a week of 3 miles at about 6:30 and at least three days a week will do several all out butt kicking sprints. This past weekend went up to Colorado to train high and ran 51 miles in 3 days in the mountains.

This sport is so different, but believe it or not, it actually saves my legs due to the slow pace on the softer surfaces. Am 55 and have been running for 32 years.

Love reading about you fasta masta's (yeah, I'm from Boston)...I was there once and might try to get back to it after a certain 100 miler in July. Not track, but a BQ. Track would rip apart my legs now.

Keep up the good work, gents!

Masters champs from yesterdays Bolder Boulder citizens race:

Tanya Poel W41 37:37

Andy Ames M44 33:14

Very good times at 6000 foot altitude.

Not to take this away from running too much, but thanks spikez and ghost for sharing your stories about our increasingly few remaining WWII vets. I had an opportunity to fly in a B-17 with dad (who did so in the war) last month and it was something else. His memories started to return and come out ..some amazing stuff no one had heard about such as saving a crew mates life, and how he slept like a baby when it was a day he didn't have a mission. He showed us his 'missing in action presumed dead' telegram which he still has (the plane crashed in Yugoslavia). If in D.C. do go to the memorial. It will touch you. If you want to share more stories or anything on this subject, email me.

NYLOCO------- I would love to pace with you at the Fallsview casino marathon. But i am going to debut the full marathon that day. Why dont you run the full with me and we can help each other in that race?

I watched a Masters Mile race yesterday. It was won by a 41yo Brit in 4:37. He just cruised around. Second and third was a battle to the finish at 5:02 and 5:03. The first place guy even lapped the last runner.