Riddle Run: Smokey Clothes, Cold Nose

Me (left) and fellow buffaloes Goose Buster and Mr. Bill.

Buffalo, run director and self-appointed race committee and dictator Jeff Riddle and his wife Debbie. Deb has made cupcakes for all nine Riddle Runs.

Who says chocolate is not good for dogs? My buffalo buddy Devil Dawg, who is the herd's Chief of Communications, contemplates a cupcake.

This is Otis Riddle, completely fierce buffalo companion and guardian of the Buffalo Trace Trail.

One of last year's runners hung around a little too long in the cold.

Runners await the start of Riddle Run IX. They had to forego the usual rantings of the race director, who promised no aid and stated that the race committee, which is comprised of himself, did not care what happened to the runners.

My fire and my lunch during the Riddle Run.

Last Saturday's Riddle Run on the Buffalo Trace Trail was a grand affair in keeping with its usual complete disregard of normal human behavior. Temperatures were quite tolerable (25 degrees at run start at 8 a.m.), warmer than I had anticipated and balmy compared to the -11 temp of a few years back. I ran only four miles because I brought my fire pit and a big load of firewood and fed the fire all day to warm the runners. A record 93 runners participated and a record 105 cupcakes were made by Debbie Riddle. I stayed until late afternoon because I knew from past experience that those who stay later might get an extra cupcake. They did. The "winner" of the race managed to cover more than 28 miles in a record 3 hours, 39 minutes. For his efforts he got a cupcake and the traveling trophy, a roll of toilet paper.