Tin Cup

It sure looked like another highly successful Tin Cup event this year as the Driggs city park was once again swarming with hundreds (dare I say thousands?) of community-minded townspeople. Runners, joggers, walkers, lookers, doers, young, old, and everything in between... Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves and the festival atmosphere. Time will tell just how successful the event was as the totals are tallied and we find out just how many participants there were in the running and walking events and each of the participating non-profits find out how much donation funds were graciously passed their way.

The kids' hula-hoop competition

Dawn, assisting all the young artists create their masks at the Teton Arts Council booth

One of the highlights for the kids

Petting bunnies, goats, ponies, and pigs are always a highlight

And I had to go check out the karaoke booth. Here we have "Girls just wanna have fun!"

Anyone who stopped by the Teton Arts Council booth could design their own mask...

...any artistic way they wanted to.

I can't estimate anything as I am not involved in the organizing or operating of this event, but I will say that I love seeing so many members of our valley communities come together and create such a wonderful experience for so many people to enjoy. I wish our valley had more events like this during other parts of the year. Maybe a February winter festival should be in the works? Same place in the Driggs city park? Warm clothes? Warm drinks? Fun snow games? Ice skating? Oh! Or maybe it could be held at the new ice rink in Victor?! Yeah! Perfect. I dunno. We'll all have to think about that. I really think that these free events managed by so many willing volunteers can offer our community so many great things: Fun, awareness, healthy and vibrant social activities, and above all, a greater sense of community cohesiveness which I've come to believe is something far more important in small, rural communites such as ours. It feels good to be a part of it.

I ran the marathon again this year after running it for the inagural event in 2008, then sitting last year out due to my work schedule. Two years ago, I was shooting for a 3:15:00. I ran a 3:14:45. This year, I was shooting for a 3:10:00. I ran a 3:11:23. Close, not quite, but close, and I can think about a number of areas where I could have picked up a minute or two on this course: The slight side-ache between miles 4-8, the short, steep hills between miles 5-9, the pit-stop in the field grass at mile 15, the head-wind from mile 19-22, and I could have kicked it up a notch at mile 20 I think instead of waiting until mile 22, but, you know... looking back, I couldn't have taken much more than a minute or two off that time and I feel like I really ran a smart race (for not being much of a marathoner as this is only my fourth marathon). Many things during an event just can't be changed. It's just how things happen. If it's not one thing, it could be another. My split halfway was about 1:35:00 so I was pretty evenly split and I finished with four 6:30ish miles (on a slight downhill, but still!) so yeah, pretty happy with that. I think on a flatter, true road course (without being 2/3rds gravel/dirt), without five turn-around points on the out-and-back sections, and at lower elevations (Portland, perhaps?), and I could maybe maybe m-a-y-b-e be looking at going sub 3:00:00. But boy, putting together a string of 6:52 minute miles sure sounds daunting. More than daunting. But possible? Sure, why not?

Sunday, I ended up on the road bike riding up to Grand Targhee with MikeE. Legs definitely were heavy, but not sore. Felt surprisingly good to be out pedalling circles.