Running in Crawford

White House producer Jon Garcia blogs: President Bush likes nothing more than to be out on his land in Crawford, Texas — in triple digit temperatures — chopping and clearing brush, fishing and, yes, even exercising. To that end, the President hosted his annual "100 Degree Heat Run" this afternoon for only the heartiest — or craziest — of his staff. The 3-mile pavement/trail run has only two requirements: the thermometer must be over 100 degrees and the participants must not stop moving. (In years past, you couldn’t stop running either, but this year the rule was relaxed to allow walking.) "It was really, really fun. The air temp was up to 104 but with the humidity it felt like 109!" said Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino, with a bit of a laugh in her voice. It should be noted that Ms. Perino did NOT run in this race but played a supporting role by handing out water to runners at the halfway point. The President, she told us after the race, was also at the midpoint offering his encouragement to the 40 runners who participated this year, including Secret Service agents and military staffers. (Some journalists have been invited to run in the past, but none were worthy this year.) Bush himself doesn’t run anymore. He used to but he repeatedly injured his knees. So he ditched the running track and decided to play cheerleader-in-chief to the fastest — and slowest — of his staff. Perino recounted some of what Bush said: "It’s hot out here!" he said, pointing out the obvious. "Looking good!" and "Get yourself some water!" he told the runners, adding that Press Office staffer Carlton Carroll, a favorite of press corps members, was "looking a little pink!" as he ran by. Some members of the staff follow behind the runners to make sure on one drops from the heat and that everyone is ok, Perino said. This year, a member of the Marine One helicopter team broke the tape with a time of 18 minutes, 50 seconds. The best non-military/secret service time was turned in by long-time staffer David Sherzer. And Sherzer wasn’t just the fastest runner, he was also the most officious, running the whole time with his BlackBerry "just in case the boss needed something," Perino said. What do all these runners get for their trouble? An iPod? New running shoes? Nope. Those who finish get a certificate, a photo with Bush and a tee shirt with the 100 Degree Club logo on it. And bragging rights.