We runners have a bit of a reputation of enjoying a bit of the spirits before, during and/or after a run. (Have you ever noticed the line at the beer truck after the Peachtree...at 8:30 a.m.?) That's all well and good. But if you want to take a realistic look at the horrific consequences of drinking and driving, take a look at the November 26, 2001 edition of "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED." On page 86 is a story of eight University of Wyoming runners who were killed by a drunk driver in early September. The story is by S.L. Price with photos by Simon Bruty.

Everyone of us, who have any influence at all over young people, should make this article required reading. With the Christmas Holidays approaching, this article should make all of us think not only about our driving....but about the people we are meeting on the highways. This is a story about the tragic deaths of eight young men, but it is also the story of people who loved to run. Like many of us, those young men lived to run. "The world, they loved to say, is divided between distance runners and candy-a..es." (I had to clean that part up because my two daughters, Michelle and Dee Dee, will read this!) People who knew the cross-country runners describe the thrill and beauty of running in Wyoming. It seems to me that all of us share those thrills. It might not be in Wyoming, but just an easy run around the block with good friends can make us all feel very special. But don't forget the tragedy of this story, the fact that eight young men were all killed by a drunk driver. But above all, DON'T LET ANYONE WE KNOW EVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

See Ya,