The alarm went off at 3:15 am. It was time to wake up, down a cup of coffee, and get Josh to the starting line in Squaw Valley.

It was a brisk 32 degrees on the drive from Truckee to Squaw Valley. The temperature was expected to rise some 60 degrees over the course of the day. Temperature swings like that don’t even happen in Texas!

When there are only 400 or so competitors, there really isn’t a lot of pre-event drama. With little fanfare, the race started at 5:00 am with the sound of a shotgun blast. The start is a bit anti-climactic. The runners actually run for about 50 to 100 m, then they immediately start up the mountain – power hiking for most of it. It’s a long day, and this isn’t the time to use up all your resources – because you will pay for it later in the day.

It was going to be a long wait before I would catch Josh at the first crew access aid station at mile 55.7.

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Imagine running 100 miles. Crazy, yes? That’s a long way to drive a car, let alone run. Extend that thought a little further: imagine running 100 miles on the trails of the Sierra Nevada, on the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850s. Now give the event a name: the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.

No, I didn’t run those 100 miles. But I did have the opportunity to experience the 2011 WS100 as a coach and crew member for Josh Kennedy of Huntsville, Alabama.

Preparing for this event – and then running it – is tough. There is no doubt about it. But being a crew member for an athlete participating in any ultra endurance event isn’t an easy task by any stretch of the imagination either.

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We debate the issue of creationism and evolution ... then we debate the issue of whether either (or both) of these should be taught in school ...

We debate the issue of sex education in school ... and should we educate students regarding abstinence or safety (or both) ...

And now, we have another "debate" - between Pope Benedict XVI and the Cochrane Collaboration.

I guess I don't need to tell you who the Pope is - that goes without saying. As for the Cochrane Collaboration , let's just go to their website for who they are:

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As I read the ongoing drama (and outrage) about AIG , it all makes me think of pro sports. Let's just insert "pro football" as an example.I know, it seems like a strange association - AIG and pro football - but perhaps they could take note of some of the business practices that seem to be "acceptable" in the world of pro sports. It might just help solve the problem.

If this was a pro football team:

- we would expect a win-loss record that puts us into the playoffs, and we would pay for the employees (namely, coach and players and support staff) to get it done. Of course, that would be within any salary cap that is applicable.

- many players and coaches presumably have a performance bonus in their contracts - for example, a bonus if the team makes the playoffs, or if the player attains certain performance criteria (number of catches, number of tackles, etc).

- the fans think nothing of demanding a winning record, and also think nothing of removing [insert here - coach/player/water boy] if they aren't "delivering the goods" (or the water).

- and when the aforementioned coach/player/water boy has his contract terminated abruptly, and he doesn't get his performance bonuses, we as fans really don't seem to care. It's accepted practice, isn't it?

- if we expand this to college sports, how many college coaches think nothing of "jumping ship" when a better offer comes around, thereby not fulfilling their contract requirements - and nobody seems to care then either.

So here's where the irony begins.

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