The Tribe

Lori, Laura, Keene, Shizaun, Mike B., Mike V., Brenan, Dominic, and Kathy represented the RUR tribe at a recent Easton 5K. Landy was running laps with his kids for the fun run while this photo was taken. Joel's little piggies got none.

27 degrees. 25 mph winds. A weekend beach house at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Seven Rise Up Runners running full or half-marathons, and family rolling down. That's the answer to the question: what were the RUR's up to this weekend LAST year.

The race itself was a blast and marked some firsts and/or personal bests for a number of us. But the race was only part of it. It was as much, or more, being part of the tribe that rolled down there together. That has been one of the coolest things about any number of the races where multiple RURs have gone down together. It's the vibe from the tribe.

This year, there are no repeat offenders for Rehoboth, though there had been talk. But Keene and Joel (or so Joel claims ;) cooked up something cooler for the group this year: The Washington DC Monument Run. Per Keene, it is essentially a run from monument-to-monument, throughout the city, covering roughly 10 miles. We're leaving Easton in the dark of Sunday morning.

Funny thing. Once it was put out there, thrown as a challenge, the drums started rolling. Likely participants inlcude Keene, Joel, Landy, Andrew, Lori, Katherine, Dominic, Brenan, Shaun, and Valliant. Take out the race itself, and the tribe stays primal.

And running as a group qualifies as pretty primal. Granted, we're not running prey down to cook (Andrew does that on other days) for subsistence, but running as a group goes back at least as far. I've been amazed at how this group steps up to challenges, to do something fun, to get together, to make a mark, to share an experience and kick some endorphins.

Look for photos and a write-up from the Rise Up Runner DC Monument Run to be posted soon. Can't wait to get out there. To do something different. To kick it with the tribe.

The Pony-Up Challenge...aka...The Assateague Ultra.

The possible scene of one of the next Rise Up Runners group challenges: The Pony-Up Challenge.

From the road, to the beach, trail or no trail. Say hello to one of our next "challenges." An end-to-end run of Assateague Island, from Maryland to Virginia. On road and off. On the beach and off. Thirty-eight miles of mayhem. If you want a proposed route with mile-markers, check out the Map My Run map.

I like to call it, "The Pony-Up Challenge"...because, well, there are ponies on that thar island :) Some folks might call it the Assateague Ultra. Personally, I have not trod much on the shores where the route goes and I don't know if it can be done. But I bet it can. Obviously, there is going to have to be some dropping off of cars. And I might guess there could be a camping component and invited guests, friends, families, to partake in the camping end of it.

When I ran the idea by Landy, his comment was, "I'll bring the bug spray!" Indeed. But man do I love the sound of the challenge. This one could take some logistical tinkering. But I'm tempted to lay down the gauntlet to call it a summer challenge, meaning checked off or attempted by the autumnal equinox.

If need be, maybe this becomes a multi-day challenge, but I'm thinking it could be done in a single go--it's flat after all, though likely slow going at times. The route may need adjusting, could be a couple miles shorter with a start and finish that make sense. But there is something to starting with your foot in the water at the northern tip and running all the way to the southwestern boot.

For a detailed map of the island and more information, camping, etc., click through to the Assateague National Seashore website.

So break it down, shout it out, holla back. What do you think? Any takers :)