Brew to Brew and bullriding too...

I keep finding great things about where I live!  

As usual, I responded to a friend's text of "Brew-to-Brew?" with "sure!" even though I was not at all sure if I was agreeing to a beer fest or tea pot meetup or, as it now turns out, the annual Brew-to-Brew relay for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  

This April relay marks the start of spring running here in eastern Kansas.  I've never done a relay before -I just haven't imbibed the Ragnar Kool-aid or really had any success with sticking to relay plans (a la Transmountain Challenge of 2012).  No reason for me to recap the helpful website for the Relay (Brew-to-Brew) but please if you are in the local area, consider either a hard-core solo run or dredging up a few running mates for a fabulous cause and an adventure. 

My weekend was low on running  mileage, but we did ski at Snowcreek, walk the Weston Bluffs Trail, and then attend the Professional Bull Riding event at the Sprint Center.  I've ridden horses but that's where my familiarity with this sport and lifestyle ends.  I loved it all -- the bulls, the riders, the rodeo clowns, the safety horse-mounted rider, the fact that these skills are part of other people's daily lives, even if only 8 seconds at a time -- and I loved that the PBR website addresses the humane treatment of the bulls.  I was unnecessarily worried beforehand that there was a dog food factory hidden behind the pens but these bulls (and their gametes of course) are so highly prized that they receive rather luxurious care (including acupuncture and chiropractic!!!) and yes I am purposefully avoiding extrapolating the irony.

Luckily for me, agreeable D indulges my need to attend events like this and soak in the culture surrounding a way of life vastly different from my own.  We already punched the NASCAR and monster truck rally cards!

I honestly didn't pick up on the subtleties of the riders' skills much less the scoring rubric but when done elegantly, even I can tell.  Here's the YouTube clip of the highest-scoring rider.
 
And, I leave you with this, a tidbit from last night's festivities that everyone can appreciate even if you don't much about bulls or tight ends or rodeo clowns or devoted fans...enjoy!

A great week to all - I can't believe March is almost here!

Weston Bluffs Trail

Sunday afternoon Amon-Ra unleashed an unseasonable treat on this little corner of eastern Kansas.  The sun shone, the birds chirped, and it really did smell like earthy early spring.  I think temps almost reached 70F!

I celebrated yesterday by crossing the wide Missouri River and running a 6.5 mile roundtrip Weston Bluffs Trail at Weston Bend State Park.  The trail is a straight shot between two small towns on the outskirts of the state park- Beverly in the south, and Weston, at the trail's northern terminus.  I parked in the middle, and started from within the park, first heading south and then turning north.  The trail rolls along the south-coursing river, parallel to train tracks (frighteningly close to the train tracks in fact!).  To the south from the park trailhead, the path is pea gravel and sand.  To the north, it's paved. 

Afterwards, I took all these pictures...of another trail nearby.   

Sometimes I take Nugget to this park for a walk, and sometimes D and I run the hills on the paved bike path.  I think our trail loops and out-and-backs have covered almost every path option in the park.

A hidden gem, just 10 minutes from home.  

 
State Parks are a treasure! 

Today the weather remembered it's still February and I zip up my fleece outer jacket and leave for work in the dark. 

Happy running!