Silver!

This will be a quick post as I'm sleep-deprived, sore, and jumping head-first into the semester at the U. I just want to thank everyone for their well-wishes and congratulations regarding the World Mountain Running Championships.

I feel like I stumbled into good fortune once again...I was a late addition to the team, and ended up taking home a silver medal thanks to the great efforts of my teammates. I was our sixth of six runners, but ran a pretty strong race, taking 59th of about 150 runners. The course was very tough, with some unrelentingly steep sections that reduced everyone to a shuffle or walk.

More on the race and trip in the next few days, but two quick memories to give you a flavor of the trip:

1) The finish was hidden in a fog cloud and perched atop a final, exceptionally steep pitch. In attempting to sprint up to the line, my legs were basically failing, and only by swinging my arms violently was I able to carry my momentum up and across the line. I did not turn green (this time), but I did think my heart was going to burst through my forehead.

2) As the evening progressed at the post-race dinner/party, the local band moved from local folk tunes into more familiar western pop songs. I almost thought I was hallucinating when they started playing John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads". It was a gloriously kitschy moment!