Shuffle, shuffle.

The weekend was pretty wacky. Not for the debauchery you'd expect from a major drinking holiday falling on a Saturday, more in the wacky-out-of-the-ordinary-stuff-happening kind of way.

Take the Shamrock Shuffle, for instance. Every year, about this time, this local 5/10k race brings a couple thousand brave running souls to the center of Madison to run what is usually a painfully cold race that is uphill both ways (Swear I'm not exaggerating, ask anyone. Uphill both ways, and wind chills that would make penguins cranky.)

This year I said "no more." I do not need another $30 cotton t-shirt to donate. I do not need to freeze my toochie off while sucking wind for a few miles to gain credibility in any of the circles I'm hanging in these days. I'm done with this race.

Ha. This year it was a sunny, 70-degree near-perfect day.

Figures.

But spectating was embraced. Lattes were consumed. Vitamin D absorbed. Fun times had.

Besides....I still got my run in. That's right. Other oddities from the weekend included me....running. Not only did I run. But I ran FIVE MILES at the end of two very consistent weeks of REGULAR RUNNING. 

You see there is another little local race coming up. This one has FREE BEER. But the line gets long. And so you see there....at the intersection of beer and running....MOTIVATION. The faster you finish, the shorter the beer line.

Hey, I'll take motivation wherever I can get it. 

And with that, spring training has begun.