Lucy Backblast: Like spotting a unicorn eating 4 leaf clover

I know what you are thinking- “wait a minute Slim, a backblast for Lucy? Don’t you guys just run for like 2 hours around the city of Greenville?” Yes, reader, we do. But today was a special day, and perhaps I’m a little high from my old fashioned doughnut I devoured following 13 miles of fun. So enjoy this extra rare publication, perhaps more rare than even the title suggests.

The Thang: two launch times, 0515/0600. The early group was also treated to a fly by from some crazy ruckers off on their own long slow distance day. Always fun to see these all around bad-a*$es do their thing.

0515 group does a modified loop with the hopes of catching the 0600 group. The cutoff leads to an approximate 5.25 mile first loop. With about a mile to go, we realize we will not make that cutoff time. (GCoD was running late and we had to allow for him to pound his 3rd Mtn Dew before we could start.) Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we get a message to the boys waiting for us back at Sbx. A relieved SpongeBob won’t have to go it alone with the madman known as Hootie (he of the 7:30/mi “slow” pace). At this point, YHC makes a tactical error and sheds the jacket and hat (it was a hot 32 degrees), forgetting that while in town we are at the highest point and thus exposed to the higher than normal winds. Nothing like getting blasted while wearing a soaking wet shirt- fortunately it was merino wool, SmartWool to be exact. Crisis averted.

The most impressive thing to me was that every member of the 0515 group buckled down and decided to go for the second loop (an additional 7.75 miles). And the absolute monster performance of the group came from Domer, fresh off a 1am arrival from San Francisco, who crushed 17 miles like it was nothing. Domer both hit his mileage requirement for the week and wiped out any excuse to fartsack in one strong post.

For those who missed this great adventure, some highlights:

-chasing two stray dogs obviously out for a Lady and the Tramp like stroll. Domer’s announcement that, while he loves dogs, if they turn on us he won’t hesitate to defend himself. We all felt a little safer in his presence.

-discussing the taxable income of certain products recently made available in many states around the country. Turns out, it’s high.

-the inevitable emergence of Houdini from the shadows several miles into the run- the guy always lives up to his nickname.

-and finally, a massive coffeeteria with all the ruckers returned from their LSD trek. The look from the insanely fast group of runners about to leave for their training session as the ruckers came in to join us was priceless.

-a certain shovel flag made an appearance out front of Sbx on Main. While that isn’t all that unusual, the fact that it’s owner was nowhere to be found and oblivious to it’s whereabouts made it more entertaining. Lesson: don’t leave your shovel flag behind, ever, but especially if a bunch of guys in rucks have the chance to snag it. There is a new “ghost flag” in the SR region.