Mr Trail Safety Speaks!

A long time back, in the Golden Age Of the UltraList Salt Wars, a poet declaimed epic poetry as none other could, would, or did. Periodically here at Mr Trail Safety Speaks!, we'll present some of these immortal verses for your learned perusal.   I Am Home: The Poem Long ago and far away, I chanced a home to seek, But knew that it would not be found, On Gottapeepee Creek. I packed it up and headed West And Drove into the westward sun, For I was on a Vision Quest This was My Destiny to Run. I have been here for about 3 weeks, In my dreams for what I’ve yearned, The home I have always seeked, But now the trees are burned. The sylvan rapture is so weighty, The smells, jack rabbits, and the deer But I can rent movies over on I-80 And they’ve got my favorite beer. I’ve looked down on the old South Fork, With fishermen that wait, Who only think of spuds and pork And cutting some more bait. Yes! Here in the tall green pines. How can I fully convince? Only ...

Jim O'Brien setting the course record in 1989. This iconic photo was taken by Stan Wagon, then editor of UltraRunning Magazine. We once asked Jim O'Brien if he'd ever bonked on an Angeles Crest training run. He said "on every section". GEAR FETISHES The current gear-item to have right now is a bladder-pack. Originally designed by and for guys-n-gals who were running long distances in very hot places like Arizona, Utah and so on, where there was no water for big miles. Look at what Jim is carrying. Nothing except for 2 small bottles. Doesn't that tell you something? He's a racer, not a freight-hauler. [Just a thought for all the racers out there humping along in their multi-pounded vests with the petri-dish bladders...] Training is one thing. Race day is another. People get used to carrying all that stuff. I remember Jimmy saying on each stage "carry only what you need". I know that on my first AC, my fannypack was 20lb of junk—and I wasn't c...