The Royce Files

Let me preface this just so you don't start thinking that running a marathon in Fargo is a hazard to your life. I will first say that marathon maniacs are generally decent people and non-violent. They like the challenge of zealously running marathons. It is a club of sorts with different levels of which you can attain through running lots and lots of marathons. Well there were plenty of them in Fargo this weekend. And investigating further I discovered that it was perhaps these runners who started their race early. Becoming a particular level of maniac has a time component in which you need to run so many marathons. So instead of perhaps bonking out in the humidity- they started earlier. Here is a blog post about the marathon from one nicknamed T-Rex.  2010 Chris Myers ponders his  upcoming Marathons  During my prep work for writing the post about the Fargo Marathon I check the registrants list to find people I know. I missed a few this year. I saw co-...

Still dragging out this marathon. Probably because I did not get many pictures or find a theme. No I did find a theme and I will get to those later. Now onto to business. After the elites then came the herds. These are the halfies. the masses Apparently the man must be mistaken about this race- this is no beer run. However, I am wrong. There was a beer garden at the finish line. Bizarre but I suppose it makes you forget all those pavement pounding miles.  Jake and the Red Beard Looking through my pictures I then realize I had gotten a photo of a top beard a co-worker too- Jake. Jake identified What about the masses from the marathon?  MFS's co-worker in pink and sunglasses     My Mostly Finnish Spouse spotted a co-worker running the marathon incognito.   People ran by and by. Even Chris Myers ran by. Now he is turning into a real Marathon Maniac. And apparently 2 members of the Emmy winning web series Intram...

It was down right nippy today. The wind helped make it feel like below freezing. No snow fell. Heading up to the Dome was a chore with the wind coming out of the north. Still, I got there on time and took my place at Chip Verification. This year a Boston Marathon participant did most of the work at the table. I answered questions and took over after 8PM. I must say I am a bit intimidated by Boston participants because I know I could never get a time below 3:30 to qualify. I am not a sprite by any means and don't have that cross country runner DNA. In the chip world, this year's chips can be kept as souvenirs. I joked that they could be kept and eaten. Imagine that- a edible timing chip. I think licorice would taste good. Participation certainly appeared to top 14000+ tonight. Once again it was enjoyable to chat a little with the runners, try to pronounce their names, talk about their towns, and encourage them. ( I learned of a few towns in Minnesota I never knew existed.) Ther...

Yet again I volunteered myself to the Fargo Marathon enterprise and once again I became "Chip Verification." It has to be once of the best jobs ever. I get to meet people, joke around with them, talk about running, talk about where they are from, and encourage them to run far and run fun. There will be perhaps upwards of 13,000 participating. A few ex-pat Kenyans are also in line to run the marathon. Well, this year I met a lot of Myers. A lot from Canada and some from the states and one from my storied past. Chris Myers might not be a recognizable name to most of you but you die hard fans of the Kevin Myers' Show will remember him as the peculiar doctor who says "It may be hazardous to your pancreas" in a few of the early episodes. Chris also is the elder Myers sibling. His venture up to Fargo includes running the half marathon on Saturday. He is running it with a friend, Steve Robertstead (sp?), who had lived in the Go many years ago. I wish Chris and Steve al...