Dirt Nite looks like this.

It starts early. Before dark. Not that I can ever get there on time, even though it's just a short drive from my work, you know how that goes. We hustle fast to drag the equipment out of the trailer and set up a course so we can start on time.


The early classes, before it gets dark, are full of hardworking beginning students. I miss my students every time I move a group up to the next level of class. But I also love seeing how good they get. And then I get a whole bunch of new students and we start all over again.


We just tie the dogs up to the deck. We're not fancy.


When it's our turn to run, it's almost dark out. We set up courses in the whole arena, instead of splitting it into two like we do for the beginning classes. It's a long arena, but narrow. It's a good night for running far and fast.


We have 19 cones. The thing that works best at Dirt Nite is to follow the ordinal numbers. The second grade math teacher taught us that. Literally. She comes to Dirt Nite.


By the time we're done running, it's dark outside and we're all a little bleery and worse for the wear when we drag the equipment back into the trailer. It's after 10 by the time I get home. It's a long day. But I don't know what I'd do without Dirt Nite.

I always think it's funny when I have pictures like this. I just went on Facebook and there were pictures from one friend's fancy NYC art opening, with many famous people. Someone else is jetting off to Brazil. Another friend, something about a fancy fashion show in Amsterdam they had to go to. And me, I've got Dirt Nite. Enjoy!