Funny how giving or receiving a tiny gift can lead to something marvelous! Three dear trail buddies, for instance, first met during ultramarathons a decade or more ago. One or the other of us was suffering from electrolyte imbalance, cramping up, or game-ending fatigue. A timely mid-course present of a few electrolyte capsules ("Succeed!" brand e-caps, as it turned out) solved the problems and laid the foundations for long-term friendships. The stories began at:

• Rayna Matsuno — Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon 2005 (5 March 2005)
• Mary Ewell — HAT Run 2007 (24 March 2007)
• Adeline Ntam — 2013-03-02 - Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50k (2 March 2013)

... and continued in dozens of runs, races, and other meetings thereafter. So wonderful we met, comrades!

_{^z - 2023-09-07}