I'm not even going to try to make a connection between the Rat Fink and the Norm Loop. My creativity only extends so far. Saturday's run is Lincoln which means the Norm Loop. 19 miles of fun on the back roads of Loudoun County. Meet at the Elementary School at 6:30.

? and the Mysterians

The group named itself after the 1957 Japanese science fiction film The Mysterians, in which aliens from the destroyed planet Mysteroid arrive to conquer Earth

.

The message came in early. I couldn't make out all the details. It was Tom. Left town. Couldn't talk. Favor? Sure. Three words: Long Run List. Then nothing but static. I leaned back in my chair, put one brogue up on the open case drawer of the desk, and stared at the phone. I wasn't going to do this anymore, but one more case wouldn't be a big deal. I gave Mike a quick call, figuring he might be able to give me a clue.

It's HOT !!

That's really all I have to say. If you run Saturday then expect it to be hot. If you run Sunday, expect it to be hotter. It's not my fault. I think gravity is pulling the sun nearer to us. It makes sense. There are more people on earth than in the past and they're generally heavier, and greater mass = greater gravitational pull. That's pretty much the extent of my science knowledge except that I'm pretty good at determining hot....and it is.

Beginning at 7 pm this Saturday, seven runners will attempt the 2010 running of the Mules and 8 others will run select portions of the course in between eating and drinking and generally ignoring the other 7 runners. On Saturday morning Diane will be preparing for her 4 am start of the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Race. SInce bib numbers are awarded based upon expected finish position, Diane has been given bib number 3.

Two-thirds, more than 190 million Americans are overweight or obese

What better way to celebrate the 4th than to spend time on a national treasure, the Appalachian Trail.

Pick a number between one and three ..... any number ...... got it? OK. That's how many loops of the Faith Chapel run you'll be doing on Saturday. You can combine loops of 6 miles and 4.25 miles and see how long it takes to get dizzy.

Where: Faith Chapel

When: Saturday 6:00 AM

  Some years ago, before Mike ate the wrong side of that Alice in Wondeland mushroom, he created a full marathon from Loudoun County roads that we still occasionally run today.