Knights of the Buffet Table

Last Friday and Saturday was the 2nd annual Ragnar Relay Del Sol. My team, The Knights of the Buffet Table did a fantastic job again. Del Sol is a 12 man 182 mile race from Wickenburg, AZ to Mesa. It is a Blast!

Being injured, I didn't run this year, but I was able to join the team as the driver-cheerleader. It is amazing to go for 24 hours and watch these great athletes really push themselves. Some of the miles my team ran during this race were really fast, under 6 minute splits! We came in 20th overall, out of 147 teams, not to shabby. But no team had more fun than the Knights. Again this year, we won the Nom de Plum Personality Award, for the best theme/team name.

INJURED!!

For the last few weeks I have had a pain in my right heel when I run. A couple of mornings as I started my run, it felt so bad, I had to stop and go back home. Last week I went to the doctor, who diagnosed me with a strained Tibialis Anterior Tendon. He said the only way to treat is with rest, no running! So for the next three weeks, I have to wear this awful boot on my right foot. It is sweaty and difficult to walk in. Everyone asks about it, because it looks like I broke my ankle. Doctor thinks I might need some orthopedic inserts in my running and work shoes.




I will just have to tuff it out and hopefully I can ease back into running soon. My long term outlook is great. The worst thing is that I miss my team relay race this weekend, the Ragnar Del Sol Relay. Del Sol is my favorite race of the year. It is a blast! I will still be going with my team The Knights of the Buffet Table. My alias was to be Sir Loin. I am the official van driver, cheerleader, and photographer. the race takes about 24 hours, from Friday to Saturday afternoon. Last year we took third place in our division, thanks to the elite athletes I was running with. GO KNIGHTS!!



Am I still a runner, if I am not running at all? Today I feel like I am. I miss it terribly, but I do enjoy sleeping in past 5am.

UNUSUAL SIGHTING


Have you ever noticed that when a dead body is found, it is usually by a runner? That's because runners are often out beating the streets before dawn. We're in parks, roads, trails, canal roads, everywhere. The adrenaline is high and we're on alert for careless drivers and vicious dogs. I have never seen a human body while running, nor do I want to.





But I have seen some amazing sunrises, beautiful scenery, and unusual wildlife. Recently on a long run, I came across, these two buffalo. Looks like a cow and calf. Kinda cute and fun.

I think that some Saturday morning my family gets a little tired of hearing my tales of the sights I have just experienced. But they were interested in the buffalo, because for years I had talked about raising them for meat. Right now we are are to busy raising 6 kids to venture into buffaloes.

The Non-Rooster

My Beazer Clan lives on 1.4 acres in Gilbert, Arizona. We have been there about 9 years, and we love it. We raise beef, have a great dog, and about 12 chickens. Two years ago some friends gave us a baby emu chick, it was about the size of a goose. We named him Roger, after our friends the Rogers that gave him to us. He has grown to quite a large bird, standing about 5 feet tall. He has great blue and purple colors on his neck. Sometimes he thinks he's part of the family and just follows us around the yard.

Of course when you have a large yard, there is always a lot of work to be done. Typically I spend my Saturday mornings enjoying a long run of about 15 miles, then I spend much of the afternoon working the land. It is a very enjoyable contrast to my usual days in the office as a loan officer. Recently, I was coming in from the orchard, past Roger's pen and saw something unusal. I climbed in and went over to his nest, and saw 4 HUGE GREEN EGGS! I was stunned, we had never considered that "he" was a "she". We were confused, but SHE wasn't. Roger is not a rooster, but a hen.

Now we get a new egg about every three days. They are bright, hard, and heavy (about 3 pounds). Each emu egg equals about 12 small chicken eggs. It freaks out some of our friends, but we eat the eggs, why not? Guess what they taste like--- that's right, chicken! They are best scrambled and served with homemade salsa. We usually drill small holes in the shell and blow the white and yolk out, preserving the beautiful green shell.

San Tan Park, Sunrise Run

Just a few miles south of my home is the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. I decided to check out the trails on a solo run at sunrise. I started early, while it was still frosty. I didn't see another soul for over an hour. Near the trailhead, on the west side, are a couple of graves of some old timers, they are well maintained and marked. A little further down the trail are some abandoned mines, that have been filled in for safety.

The climb up to the saddle in the first 1.5 miles was a bit of a hike, scrambling over boulders, and the steep, loose trail. I worked up a sweat in the dark. I was rewarded with a great view of the spectacular sunrise. From the saddle, the view is great. To the north is Gilbert, north east is the Superstition Mountains, south is the San Tan Park.

I decended the trail into the valley, and the rest of the park. There is a nice loop trail thru the valley. I stopped at the Visitors Center, it features an Arizona Memorial- also some nice bathrooms and a water fountain to refill my water bottle. The trails are marked and flat enough to run along. I saw a few quail, the only other wildlife I encountered was a couple of mountain bikers tearing thru the terrain and having a great time. The desert was green, with the cactus getting ready to bloom.

This is a great park to run in, I will definitely be back. Maybe I can convince my running club, East Valley Runners to come along next time.

Estimated mileage: 12+, calories burned: 2400.

Intro

Yes-- I am a marathon runner that works in the mortgage business for a living, or I am a mortgage banker that loves to run!

I am also a family man. Happily married for over twenty years, and the father of 6 wonderful children.

I like to think that my training and racing in marathons prepares me for the rigors and trials of everyday life. If I can run 26.2 miles as fast as I can, and not give up- then surely I should be able to:

• go the distance to get a difficult loan approved.


• always show my lovely wife the love and respect she deserves.


• be patient and caring with my kids and their problems.

I love my life. I hope you enjoy reading about the ups and downs in the life of a regular guy that fights the battles of home finance, endurance running, and our family of eight.