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Written by Bwana Bwana

Spring is going through its cycles: hot one day, cool the next, rainy, sunny, calm, then breezy. Today was three of those as Jim Myers and newcomer Chris, John Domico, Judd Michael, Jim Moore, John Sheakoski, Marty Klanchar, Costas Maranas, Jeff Smucker, Mark Fedkin, Jonathan Thurley, Tim Aydin, Rich Harter, Michael Goldfine, Meira Minard, Kathy Koetje-Simin, Ann Marie Oldani, Dave DeGroote, newcomer Eric Heiden, Rob Peterson, Matt Soccio, and Marty Mazur ran down to track hollow.

As the Crew arrived, it seemed like Media Day for the CVIM team. There were cameras and reporters at the track. What was the occasion? World-class ultramarathoner Lisa Smith-Batchen was at the track and running as part of her 50 miles on the Penn State campus. Lisa is running 50 miles in all 50 states over the course of 62 days to try to raise $1 million dollars for charities that benefit orphans worldwide. Her support crew and running companion, Sister Mary Beth, were there. One of Smith-Batchen's running disciples, Sherry Tirko, was there, too. Sherry ran high school track with Lisa as her coach, and has helped organize Lisa's run in State College. Cub reporter Tara Murray, who ran some miles with Lisa earlier, was there furiously scribbling in her reporter's note book. And Jonathan Thurley had run some miles with Lisa earlier, while Kathy Koetje-Simin plans to go a few later on with her.

In honor of Smith-Batchen's ultra effort, Bwana had the Crew do about the longest reps he ever has them do: 3X1K. That's about 1/27th of what Smith-Batchen was to run today. She has already run in the last two weeks more than I run in 3 or 4 months. And she still has 40 states to go. We are unworthy.

Others whose efforts pale were legion. But all of the slackers can redeem themselves and their Karma (Sister Mary Beth, one ecumenical nun, actually used that word today) by going over to Smith-Batchen's web site and donating to her cause:

http://www.runhope.com/donate.html