But I don't like Spam

By Eduardo Unda-Sanzana from Antofagasta, Chile

Man: Well, what've you got?

Waitress: Well, there's egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;

Vikings: (starting to chant) Spam spam spam spam...

Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam...

Vikings: (singing) Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!

Waitress: ...or Lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a mornay sauce garnished with truffle pâté, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam

Wife: (G.C.) Have you got anything without spam?

Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Wife: I don't want ANY spam!

Man: Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?

Wife: THAT'S got spam in it!

Man: Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?

Vikings: (singing) Spam spam spam spam...

Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?

Waitress: Urgghh!

Wife: What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!

~

You are probably wondering what the Monty Python Spam Skit dialog is doing in my running blog post. Absolutely nothing; I just like it.

Well, okay, maybe a little something.

I'm somewhere around mile 16 during today's long run on Lester Rail Trail. Some of my friends have joined me for parts of today's run, but I'm usually jogging alone at this late point in my sojourn. Not today, though. Today, Chadwick Sunday has continued to stay with me even after everyone else has come and gone. I truly appreciate this fine companionship.

Chadwick and I are discussing the differences between road runners and trail runners. He appears to enjoy both venues, but we agreed that the two groups seem to have entirely different cultures. At some point, as often happens, I begin doing more of the talking, probably much more. Chadwick seems okay with this.

I relate how my conversations with trail runners often involve them telling me all the advantages of their sport (softer surface, better for one's core and other muscles, enjoyment of the wilderness, etc.). I come back with something to the effect that, I don't disagree about said advantages, but the few disadvantages - that I have to slow way way down to engage in the sport, and that I often wind up falling, usually badly - far outweigh the positives. The conversations often end up sort of like the Monty Python skit, kind of like this:

~

Trail runner: Well, there's hills and trails; level areas and trails; woods and trails; trails, woods,trails and trails;

Vikings: (singing) Trails, trails, trails, trails...

Dan: But I don't like trails.

Trail runner: Try the level areas and trails. It doesn't have much trails.

Dan: THAT'S got trails in it!