Sunday July 24th at 6PM – and Hector’s House.  Bring your appetites and meat

If you think you can come – please post a comment below…

We interview Layton Ford, one of the 6AM Runners that participated in the 2010 Mirimichi Half Marathon. Good job gentlemen…

There are some younger ones . . . yes.  The kids and the kids, aside from Ruperts commitment aversion, seem fairly good with the last reduction in the President’s Challenge.  And maybe in reality, this is simply a dose of 50 + years of reality hitting hard.  I don’t know.

SOOOOOOOOOO . . . . .

I am prepared to throw down one last effort at making the PC palatable to all of you old farts.  The young bucks can do this with ease and perhaps inspire the rest of us to reach a bit farther as well.

• Whereas these and other circumstances constitute the current reality of an aging runner’s club;

• Whereas there seems to be a general lack of grass roots response to the 1st and 2nd readings of the President’s Challenge;

• Whereas the cost of the Gulf Coast clean up will likely impact our gas prices adversely . . . at some point;

• Whereas the early morning noise of socks being pulled up over hairy legs, is a sleep deterrent to at least one of the wives of the 6AM’ers;

• Whereas, coming to coffee dressed up like you ran, actually constitutes a run equal to half of what you would have run . . . if you had actually run;

• Whereas coming late and leaving early, although unverifiable, also constitutes a 1 count in the monthly totals;

• Whereas coming to St. Timothy’s, in and around the time that runners would converge on our early morning edifice, is important for the health and longevity of the group;

• Whereas the motto of the group has recently changed from, “6AM Runners . . . not to fast . . . not to slow . . . half fast.” . . . to . . . “6AM Runners . . . running is optional and coffee is mandatory.”;

• Whereas, the President, in life transition and exodus from pastoral ministry, has a little more time to waste on this kind of stupid stuff;

Be it therefore resolved once more that the President’s Challenge be further reduced to 12 times* a month.

Now if any of you continue to struggle with this, let’s just pretend that it is going to work for  you.  Pick up the oven mitt that I have thrown down and in the spirit of all that is feminine, rise to this “not-real-challenging” challenge.

I love you . . .

May God bless us every one . . .

President Warthog

*12 times a month is the reasonable suggestion of Johnnie O

When Dexter is not out in the morning, this is Tigger’s job.  He didn’t get the squirrel today but he got a raven yesterday . . . nailed him.  On the way to Woodstock I think . . . the raven was either sick, stupid or arrogant, all potentially fatal.  There is a dent in the grill of Tigger’s new car, to commemorate this rare occurrence.

Oh yes . . . Skipper showed for coffee around 7:00a when we were all leaving. Sorry Steve.

So . . . on my run today, I was doing math in my head and talking to God.  Perhaps I was a bit over zealous when I put yesterday’s challenge at 20 times a month.  Today, . . . out of pure concern for the rest of you, I have decided to reduce the size of the gauntlet and suggest that our target should be . . . ummm . . . let me see . . . let’s say 16 times a month without prejudice to distance covered.

So that’s my final offer . . . unless my run/prayer time produces something additional tomorrow.

Currently, I am unable to log any great amount of distance. I was doing the Math as I was waddling along yesterday. 5 times a week at an average of 3 miles per run would give me 780 miles in a year. That would be a great year for me at this stage of my life.

Here’s my challenge to the 6AM buddies. I’d like to challenge you to 20 times out in a month. I don’t care how far you run . . . just that you come out 20 times. If you fall behind in a given week, you can make it up here or there. Or that would be 240 times a year. You can miss 125 times a year and still be “bang on”.

So, . . . respond to this post brothers . . . let me know if you are in?? I’ll keep the stats and chase you for them if you become a bit delinquent in your reporting.

Our very own 6AM-er, representing the 6AM running club met with Candace Sutherland (the Across-Canada-Runner) recently.  He no doubt wished her well in her effort and let her know that the 6AM Runners support her!

Hector even managed to convince her to try on our hat – which I’d say makes her an honorary 6AM runner.  It’s almost like we’re right there with her running across our great land… you know – except we get to avoid all the hard work   Keep up the good work Candace – the 6AM Running Club is with you!

I am helping a Winnipeg teenage girl with her cross-Canada run. She will be in Fredericton this Saturday and Sunday. Here is her website:  www.candacesutherland.com

Here are some recent articles written about Candace and her mission:

http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2010-05-09/article-1065748/Leading-by-example/1

http://www.amherstdaily.com/News/Local/2010-05-11/article-1083040/The-good-runner/1#

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1181377.html

http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=335920&sc=25

http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=336338&sc=25

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Living/2010-04-23/article-1036219/Teen-running-across-Canada-in-support-of-four-charities/1

http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2010-05-05/article-1055708/Teenage-runner-crossing-Canada-to-benefit-four-charities/1

She and her uncle have a very low admin. account and they are just getting by.  The run has been in danger of coming to an end a few times.

Candace is on her 3^rd (and last) pair of Asics runners since leaving St. John’s Newfoundland.  It will probably take between 10 and 15 pairs to cross Canada.

In any case, we are looking for a running club or group to get together and purchase 1 pair of runners for Candace to ensure that she gets another 500 miles or so further (after this pair is finished).

If you have any ideas or if you can pass this email to other running clubs, the Running Room, whatever, that would be appreciated.

I could arrange for Candace to meet with your club or any group while in Fredericton.

Thanks,

Pierre Gagné

Winnipeg, Manitoba

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We have a practical opportunity to help another runner achieve this incredible feat.  Please contact President Karl Ingersoll if you’d like to participate in helping with the shoe cost.

We can only assume that a number of 6AMers are digging their sneakers out of the closet in preparation for their triumphant return.  Some are reporting that Johnny O is baking a special Amensty cake – however this cannot be confirmed at this point.

To aid in the mental preparation for our Returning-Runners we suggest you focus on the following things:

• Set 2 alarms for Monday morning

• Light supper on Sunday night and no dairy (George Filliter tip)

• There will be a wide range of running speeds for Amnesty day….. so don’t worry about it

• If you can’t run at all due to injury – make sure you show up to Phase II – Tims Coffee

hope this helps – see you on March 15 – 5:30AM Queen square.

Many times I have reflected that my early morning, “not-so-polished” companions have been absolute angels of God, sent to keep me sane in the otherwise periodically maddening world of pastoral ministry. Every once in a while I realize that I haven’t shifted out of “Rev.” and then one of my buddies brings me back to early morning reality.

They don’t look so good in the morning. They don’t smell so good. They rarely say, “Excuse me . . . “. There is absolutely no sympathy to be had and quickly a fledgling 6AM’er surrenders this expectation to the therapeutic value of learning to laugh at oneself as opposed to feeling sorry for the same.

The refreshing thing is that they are REAL!

In the early morning pre-dawn hours before the world puts its masks in place, no one expects or wants anything else.

One thing that I am struggling with these days is the “No man runs alone.” thing. As I have tried to regain my slow status, I want to run alone.

Now this is one of those few “polite” gestures that we offer to people who want to start running. I think the intent is good and the sentiment . . . so lusciously thoughtful.

But . . .

leave me alone . . . please. I’ll meet you at coffee. The new motto of the aging group. “The 6AM Runners . . . where running is optional and coffee is mandatory.” This of course replaces the old one for those of us over 50. The old one was: “The 6AM Runners . . . not too slow . . . not to fast. Half fast!” Say it fast and let me know when you get it. So these days I am a half fast runner dedicated to coffee or tea in my case.

I really do love you guys. but I know what happens to people who get lured into a good “Tigger Tale”. I have seen too many people verbally dragged over the dark streets, trying to keep up with one of his addictive narratives that has little to no sense to it at all. The only one of the group who can tell a better story with no point at all is Gimli and he is on the “half fast” list right now as well.

Could someone else help me to develop our list of protocols?

Pumba

PS . . . there is a non polite origin to this nickname that has earned me my uncontested place at the back of the pack.