About my blog

Welcome to my trail running site. I enjoy being on the trail where I can take in nature and clear my mind. I prefer running in the mountains, but anywhere rural will do. In years past, I have completed four 100 mile trail races and many other ultramarathons. I spend countless hours running in the Franklin Mountains and the surrounding desert in far West Texas, which I call my church. My little Mexican hairless dog, Taz tags along sometimes. I am slowing down in my old age and am mostly running 50K trail races these days.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Native Americans Ran Here

I always seem to find myself driving on a deserted dusty road in the middle of nowhere. Here I am again, but this time on the Otero Mesa, a wild grassland in New Mexico, west of Carlsbad. The Cornudas Mountains, a series of volcanic peaks, rise high above the desert prairie. As I drive along, a pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra Americana) darts across the road and I come to a screeching halt. Not that I was in danger of hitting the animal, but I want to get a picture.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Self Experimentation

Why not experiment on myself to find relief from plantar fasciitis? What have I got to lose? I listened to my podiatrist for the last four months and the only outcome was that he became richer.

Santorio Santorii or Sanctorius of Padua (however you want to call him) was the earliest known self experimenter. This 16th century professor meticulously weighed himself, his food, pee and poop for thirty years in the earliest study of metabolism. Talk about being obsessed with your weight, but let’s give this guy some credit; Shangri La Diet wasn’t discovered yet.






Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Ocotillos and Willows

Last evening I enjoyed a fine sunset while admiring the blossoms of the ocotillo plant. This thorny, dead looking (most of the year) plant is quite amazing when you think about it. I once watched Bear Grylls, the star of Man vs. Wild, use an ocotillo stalk to roast a rattle snake for dinner.