We don't need no stinking shots~!

Yes, FLU season is right around the corner.
Yes, I think that you should get a shot, ESPECIALLY if you are older (than me), a small child (could you read this if you were?) take care of small children (yes, Home Day Care Provider, I am looking at YOU....), take care of older people, work in health care, care about health, etc. etc. etc.
In short, get your Flu shot.

But that's not the immunization I am looking for.

The one I am talking about, at least for me, doesn't exist. Which can be good, and bad... Have you ever gone to a museum, for example (that's those buildings where they keep old stuff for us to look at. Just think, some day (next month?) the iPhone5 will be in one...) and gone home wanting to look up all kinds of things, just to learn MORE about them? Anyone, Anyone? Beuller? Ok, maybe just me. But what about that time you took your wife, her grandfather, and the two youngers to see monster trucks? Didn't you want to run home, sell all of your running/climbing gear, buy a piece of crap truck and fix it up so that it could stomp all over the new school buses parked in a field not too far from your house???? Anyone? No???? WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE????

Fine. Let's keep it more realistic. (and by realistic i mean far-fetched)

In 2010 I went to Boston to watch the Boston Marathon. While there, I was overwhelmed by the support, the engergy, and the determination of the people running as well as the people watching. So in 2011 I went back, this time dragging my wife and youngest son with me. Well, I brought them to the Expo. Once again, I was bit by the energy, etc. The next day I went back down for the race, and then hung out with some people after the race. During that time, I managed to talk myself into running MY first marathon in Philadelphia this coming November with some other people who i hadn't even met. Seems reasonable, right?

I had caught the fever.

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to crew for Sarah Stanley as she ran in the Vermont50, a very tough 50 mile trail Ultra. I like to think that I am in pretty decent shape. HA! I was ever so humbled by the people who ran this race. Just milling around the Expo on Saturday was enough to make me want to curl up in the fetal position, suck my thumb, and rock back and forth take a serious look at my training schedule. So I steeled myself for Sunday, knowing that I was going to see these people in action, and that I would likely get bitten again. I must have some sort of crystal ball or something.

I caught the fever again.

What was the clincher? I gotta say, it was the running of that last 3 miles with Sarah. I was running in the woods, I was running up hills, over mud, through mud. Trees all around, except when it was fields. Bugs, bees, flowers, trees. I won't go into details of the course; I'll let her tell you all that stuff. Heck, I saw less than 10% of it. I WILL share, though, that if you run with someone who has just done 47miles, don't be surprised if they start talking about elephants, monkeys, deer shaped ferns, and waterfalls.

In conclusion, get your FLU shot. As for the other 'disease'...too late for me! I am fully ready to begin the journey to early evening hallucinations!

I have a fever....

What have you gone to see that has infected you?