Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Mug Challenge...Revisited

"Still Life with Mug"--Everything you need to start a good RUR day--a bag of Rise Up Coffee beans, a handsome RUR mug, and a pair of running shoes. And yes, I am a dork.

It's a good week when we welcome a new runner to the Rise Up Runner ranks. Dominic Szwaja braved the dark streets of Easton at 5 a.m. with Landy, Joel, and me, both Tuesday and this morning, making him the latest to complete the Mug Challenge, which Landy issued for the month of April. As Dominic doesn't seem to mind the early rising time, or the questionable company, he's now on the roster.

As Joel mentioned this morning, initiation into the RUR faithful is mixed blessing--we are glad to see you when you show up, and we dog you to no end when you sleep in. In any case, we are glad to have Dominic in the mix.

Aside from that, what was to be an easy pre-race taper week has turned into the crawl of the walking wounded, with flu and injuries hobbling two (just when we seemed sure to have 5 runners meeting at 4:30 a.m.!) and the pace and duration of runs backing down.

The crew making the trek to Delaware this Saturday is up in the air, so stay tuned for a post-race report on or about Sunday.

And for those looking to score a fresh RUR mug, the challenge thrown is for the month of April. That leaves a few days next week to make it out to score some swag. After that, qualifications for the coveted mug become completely open to interpretation and the judges' scorecards.

4 comments:

Runners on Trails said...

Composition, that's what good photography is all about in my family,and I think you've done quite well, especially since I now own 2 identical items in your stillife. So, does me showing at your house before 5am Saturday morning count towards an official April showing of the RUR's? Perhaps we should be named the RUD's where D stands for dorks. Welcome to the ranks.

Michael Valliant said...

Wood Frog - race road trip times do count, for sure. It is a similar kind of kookiness that compels people to drive for hours to go run as it is to get up and run closer to home. Looking forward to the early departure, trip, and run (until about mile 18!).

Stephen G. Bardsley said...

Everybody check out race report from Tuckahoe in the Bay Times this week. Big props to Olivia and Mike Keene (aka wood frog).

Anonymous said...

I see that photo and I just hear my Mom... "Get those shoes off the dinner table."
Good stuff.