Blame it on injuries, kids, budget, time or whatever, it's been a while since I participated in a race that really, really meant a lot to me.  

I was so jazzed the first time I ran the Boston Marathon, I couldn't sleep for a full week leading up to it.  At the start in Hopkinton, I was so nervous that I pee'd down my leg.  (Yes, in a big crowd of runners as the announcer counted down!  No, I wasn't the only one, either!) 

Time to draw the lines in the sand for 2010. 

Last year saw me injured for the first 7 months and on the comeback trail for the balance of the year.  For the first time in 4 years, I feel as though I am starting the year with a fitness base I can build on.

Yes, the rumors are true.

This past Friday was the first day of the rest of my year. 

I was at a business function for most of the day.   People I'd not seen for a while would come up to me and ask, "What's new?"  All I could think to say was, "It was an awesome summer, but sadly, it ended yesterday."

Given that Friday fell in the fourth week of October, more than one person was left scratching their head. 

As the sun sets on the 2009 Baggers Challenge, I have come to the sad conclusion that I should have quit my job if I were serious about bagging them all. 

Yes, at one time I thought it might be possible to bag them all in one season.  It is.  But you have to get on it early and get those high bad boys while the sun shines and the days are long.

I think I have Bagger's Fever.  The symptoms have been particularly acute this past week:

One of my favorite hidden gem trail races is the Walk in the Park (WITP) in Kamloops, BC.  I ran it this past weekend under unusual circumstances and figured I'd share the story before my dirty running gear goes through the wash.

I ran my first ultramarathon run (a run longer than the 42.2K marathon distance) in late November 1990. 

Background

A few weeks ago while running the STORMY 50-miler, I got to chatting with my pals Rick and Ken to pass the time.  The Bagger Challenge and our experiences to date were top of mind.