A Runner's Awakening
By Jim Burnett

The deep cord of the almost lost, almost gone restless beneath,
The turning point, the blink of an eye, the almost missed,
The never to be forgotten, the final fearfulness, the closing door,
The dark shadow, the fading light, the whisperings.

Floating through the door to space, stillness awaits,
Uncountable miles trail behind, blurred, each a drop in a vast sea,
Squinting into the rising sun’s fire now, exhaling,
Arms dropping down, loose, an awakening smile curls gently upward.

Crunching gravel sliding under,
Blood and breath and foot all one,
Round the corner full and empty,
Every step a fateful leap.
Slippery bank leads to the crossing,
Generations close behind,
Time to push or just move over,
Time to sow or time to sleep?

Doesn’t matter not to worry,
Breathing in and breathing out,
I am dreaming I am running,
Be ye first or be ye last.

See the body at its function,
Feel the wind and steel the pain,
Fluids flowing heart a‘beating,
Welcome raindrops snow and ice.

Still the doorway swings wide open,
Now the runner dreams and runs,
Into space and into stillness,
Generations close behind.

Haste
By Kali Smolen

Running through life
you cover more ground.
But in slowing down
magic can be found.

Perhaps under your feet
is a four leaf clover.
Not to be seen
if your feet keep turning over.

Sometimes we run away,
other times we run towards.
To find sweet escape
or to win fancy awards.

If you must run
then think about your why.
Your own special reason,
don't let life just fly by.

In a moment- just one,
so much can change.
Flooding, loss, and trials,
our worlds rearrange.

But we people excel
at shifting when needed.
And sometimes going forward slowly
means we have indeed succeeded.

So run for your why
run fast or run slow.
If we keep chasing hope,
who knows where we will go.

Coming off the Mountain
By Michele Maxon

Verse 1)
She’ll be rolling down the mountain when she comes
She’ll be rolling down the mountain when she comes
OH She’ll be rolling down the mountain
She’ll be rolling down the mountain
She’ll be rolling down the mountain when she comes

Verse 2)
She’ll be packed tight as a snowball when she comes
She’ll be packed tight as a snowball when she comes
OH She’ll be packed tight as a snowball
She’ll be packed tight as a snowball
She’ll be packed tight as a snowball when she comes

Verse 3)
She’ll have trashed quads at the bottom when she’s done
She’ll have trashed quads at the bottom when she’s done
OH She’ll have trashed quads at the bottom
She’ll have trashed quads at the bottom
She’ll have trashed quads at the bottom when she’s done

Verse 4)
She’s got blistered purple feet now as she goes
She’s got blistered purple feet now as she goes
OH She’s got blistered purple feet now
She’s got blistered purple feet now
She’s got blistered purple feet now as she goes

10K
By Mike Vecchiarelli

Socks,
Shorts,
Shirt,
Shoes,
Tracker?
Hat, no hat?
Hydrate and (evacuate)

Start, Too fast but...too fast
Cadence and settled breathing
Across stride
down stride
Up push
Cadence, cadence
Good rythme

Hot sun
Cool shade
Hard road
Soft shoulder
Watch step
Catch breath

Good rythme
Passing here
Passed there
Up and
down and

Nice hills
cute cows
water cup
face splash

near end
last push
bit tired

BIG KICK
SPRINT IN

catch breath

AH

The Grind
By Natalie Wainwright

I love the grind
I love waking up and facing a challenge
The feeling of that first step out the door
The halfway point
The final stretch
The instant pride that fills the air
I love the good and the bad
The stings and the floats
The uphills and the downhills
I love it all.
I love feeling strong
I love feeling confident
And I love feeling nervous, too
So I can prove my own brain wrong.
Each day I run is a day I accomplish a goal
No matter how short or how long
How slow or how fast
How terrible or how wonderful
I am a runner
I chase my dreams
And I am victorious.

Run for fun
By Scott King

Run for fun.
We tell ourselves this.
Week to week.

Rewarding?
Only you can say.
I think so.

Come join us.
Find out for yourself.
Be the judge.

Run this fall.
Meet some new people.
Change your life.

We all have.
I don't regret it.
Run for fun!

Community
By Scott King

Farm, Hunt, Fish.
We all need to eat.
Do your share!

Take, take, take.
When will you give back?
Volunteer!

Help wanted.
How can you help out?
Get involved!

Look around.
Who makes it work now?
Someone is!

If not you.
It must be someone.
Lend a hand!