I am not exactly in any sort of racing shape, or any sort of shape to be wagering bets with boys - let alone young men in their mid-twenties - but I feel like I ought to be able to beat this one in particular.  And this is not because I don't like him.  Rather, I consider him a great friend, not just because he's one of my boyfriend's best friends.  Snobbishly and competitively, I just feel, mid-way through my 11th year of running competitively, like I ought to put this male running novice in his place.

How could he just come fancy-footing into "my" thing - the thing that's made me definably different in this social circle - and whomp me?!  What about the Trials of Miles and long years of arduously compounded training and thorough dedication?  And, Oh, what of the sacrificial lifestyle choices and resolve to outlast yogging trends of mediocracy; the aim to tremendously outdo the predominately male couch-sitters and their assumptions which pervade the world!?

Persist, I must.  I feel as though i ought to carry the intentions of female runners everywhere, who may chuckle to themselves when stocky, muscular, fat, skinny boys and men alike chug, sprint or otherwise hurl themselves past any sports-bra-clad wearing runner - be she cooling down, running 10 more miles, or simply fighting the odds.  This is like a battle of the sexes.

Maybe I got fired up by some dumb, bigoted posts on LetsRun.com last week which one of the other assistant coaches pointed out.  Regardless of those posters' ignorance and ridiculousness, their prevailing myths prevail: we find countless "reasons why females can't run faster and compete harder after puberty or in college."  I see these myths manifested, I hear of their perpetration from older women and high schoolers alike, and I want to dash them.

Maybe I am feeling combative; JJ - the friend new to running - did not even say "I can beat you."  I just did the math insinuated by his words and cried "Fallacy!"  Regardless, I could not resist saying, "we're finding a race over Thanksgiving when I'm visiting home and Portland and It Is On."  Frozen turkey prize or not, I want to throw down at some local 5k, to pick off men's masters champions at a community fundrasing 5-miler.

So, I found a Turkey Trot.  I have 12 days to get my sleep-deprived, lackadasically running mileaged self into shape.  That is, in order to defend - more than embarass - my cause.

So we open our competitive selves up to vulnerability; so we learn to let the inevitability of each day be. 

As Zel Brooks - someone who could not participate on any high school or college running teams because she was female and ran events that were not yet sanctioned for competition for women; and someone who's faced tremendous adversity but still opted to follow difficult courses over decades - reminded us yesterday: Winners keep running because nothing can take the place of persistence.

Come cheer on the Beavers, who'll toe the line to race at 2:25pm on Friday, Oct. 31st. (HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! ...but who needs another reason to wear black and orange?!)

Directions to    90333 Sunderman Road, Springfield, Oregon 97478

·         Take Exit 105E/126E off of I-5 and stay on 126E for 7 miles.

·         Take the 42^nd Street/Marcola exit and make a left on 42^nd street for 0.4 miles

·         Take a RIGHT on Marcola for 4.4 miles until you reach the intersection of Marcola and Sunderman Road – there maybe parking available at Golf Course if you get there early enough

Stoddard Reynolds captured some awesome shots of the ladies on Saturday - an epitome of the Northwest's temparate autumn.

Thanks to all of you who came out to provide support!  The ladies are now looking forward to next Saturday's BEAVER CLASSIC at Avery Park, hosted by the Corvallis Running Project. 

After an awesome trip to Alabama, where the ladies finished strong to finish 2nd at the Auburn Invitational, and another week of solid training, the Beavers are looking forward to competing this Saturday, Oct. 18th at noon, in the Mike Hodges Invitational at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore. 

Family, alum and other Beaver Believers are encouraged to cheer on the ladies!