"F***."

T-Dog's one-word assessment upon finishing the Sequoia Trail Run in the Oakland Hills pretty much summed up the run. It was brutal! Too many climbs to count, seemingly all of them long and steep, and we walked most of them. Mud, standing water in spots, treacherous footing, especially on the downhills. And yet, it was a beautiful run too: at one point early in the run we were treated to a spectacular panoramic view of San Francisco and the Bay, and on some stretches where we ran alone, the quiet and calm (hard breathing notwithstanding) was amazing. Despite the challenge, Kerry finished 13th at the 20K distance, and the rest of us straggled in after him, glad to be done. Finishing on 2 legs fell like an accomplishment, but still, if we're going to run trails, we might want to start training on trails -- our next trail race is in 4 weeks!

John Stephen Ahkwari

This week's inspiring moment, courtesy of John Stephen Ahkwari of Tanzania at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City (replete with stirring score). . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6DX_m87y0

Workouts w/o Feb 22

Saturday (Feb 21)/ Sunday (Feb 22): Lafayette-Moraga Trail, 12 mi/ 6 mi
Tuesday (Feb 24): 2 laps of Parkmead neighborhood (Phillips Manse), 3.8 mi
Thursday (Feb 26): Iron Horse south from Rudgear, 6 mi/ 5 mi

This Week's Inspiration. . . .

For Jon Blais. A lame poet, but an inspiration nonetheless. . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrjp2P0GlE

Training calendar w/o Feb 15

Our training schedule looks like this for the week ahead:

Sunday, Feb 15: Lafayette-Moraga Trail; 10-miler steps off at 6:30am, 6-miler at 7:00am
Tuesday, Feb 17: 3.7-mile (double lap) of Parkmead neighborhood, 6:00am at Casa Phillips
Thursday, Feb 19: 5-mile tempo run, Rudgear south to Las Trampas and back, 6:00am

Sequoia Trail Run is just 2 weeks from today!

Delta of Venus: ***½

Davis, CA (AP) - Delta of Venus, a funky bohemian cafe tucked in behind the starting line of the Davis Stampede 5K race, operates out of what used to be a residence, so it has a very comfy homey feel with several different rooms in which to dine, as well as a front porch and patio. There is no sign, though, so you better know where you want to go. The ambience is definitely relaxed, so take your time, drink coffee, chat politics, art, and running over tasty eggs with basil and pesto, crispy home potatoes, and omelets loaded with locally-grown veggies. They even offer a plain cheese omelet for the people in your party who insist on a totally lame breakfast. The staff definitely leans left, if they're not downright ragamuffin at times. Frequently has live music in the evenings. Reportedly features excellent buttermilk waffles. A very pleasant place to spend some time after a big race without spending very much money.

Harriers' Stylish Stampede

Davis, CA (AP) - Black was definitely the color at the Diablo Harriers' inaugural race of 2009, with five of the team's seven runners choosing the classic look for their racing togs at the Davis Stampede. Only Kerry Easthope, resplendent in gray with green trim, and Tony "T-Dog" Phillips, proudly donning the team's white logo jersey, bucked the trend. Roger Shaw and Lynne Jowett complimented their black shirts with chic sunglasses, while Shaw and newcomer Dave Williams wore matching silver shorts with their black short-sleeve tops. Tom "Yogi" Swain opted for a long-sleeve black shirt with his silver shorts, while Rhett Bratt went with black on top and bottom. The Harriers will be hard-pressed to match their Davis style at their next race under the trees of Joaquin Miller Park at the end of February.

Spectacular Results at Davis Stampede

Diablo Harriers took names and shattered records at the 2009 Davis Stampede on Sunday morning. Kerry headlined the domination with a third-place finish in the half-marathon's M40-44 age group (earning him the podium bling on the left), dropping 12 minutes from his previous best. Tony dropped 4 minutes, Roger 3 minutes, and Tom 2 minutes from their PRs as well. At the 10K distance, Lynne set a PR by 4 minutes and Dave established a new mark. Rhett was the lone slacker, missing his best time at the half by 8 minutes, but he did meet an old college acquaintance who was announcing at the race finish.

SHAW PARTIES WITH YOUNG BLONDE

Walnut Creek, CA (AP) - Displaying the form that has made him the bad boy of road racing, longtime Diablo Harrier Roger Shaw was seen dancing late into the night with an unidentified young blonde before the team's season-opening race in Davis. In the grainy video, "Captain Smoothie" can be seen flashing a wide range of dance moves while dancing closely with a woman sources claim is not his wife. The late-night adventures didn't seem to affect Shaw on the course, however; he established a new personal best at the half-marathon distance. The incident will no doubt add to his hard-partying, hard-running legend.

The Slog Bog Relaunches -- Harriers Rejoice!

Now that we're larger in number, perhaps the time has come again for our blog. We'll get workouts listed, and this is the perfect spot to share all of our compelling commentary, those dramatic photos, and the many interesting tidbits we come across in the course of every day. . . . So in the (paraphrased) words of David Bowie's 1983 smash hit, "Let's blog!"