Micah True, born to run

Remembering Micah True – known as “Caballo Blanco,” or the white horse – a gifted athlete who devoted his life to helping the Tarahumara, a remote tribe of long-distance runners in Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

The pair from Oracle, Ariz., plan a health and fitness seminar at Club America and a music concert at the Feed Store Amphitheater.

Maffetone is well known for his work with professional athletes in a wide range of sports, as well as everyday people from all walks of life. Clients have included elite triathletes Mike Pigg and Mark Allen, who won the Hawaii Ironman Triahtlon six times, race car drivers Michael and Mario Andretti, and the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and New York Giants.

He has also worked as a personal wellness guru to Johnny Cash, music producer Rick Rubin and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Maffetone is the author of “The Big Book of Health and Fitness.”

Dr. Thompson is the former medical director at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, a leading organization in the field of child brain development. She is the author of “Healthy Brains, Healthy Children.”

The health and fitness seminar will be at Club America from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday. May 4. Admission is $20 and $15 for club members.

A concert featuring Phil and Coralee performing their own original music, including songs from Phil’s new CD, “Living on a Dead-End Road,” is scheduled at the Feed Store amphitheater from 7-9 p.m. May 5. The new wine and beer bar will be open at the amphitheater, and the restaurant will feature specials to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, according Chef Shane Dean.

A donation of $10 is suggested for the concert.

More more information about Phil and Coralee’s Music and Wellness Tour, check www.philmaffetone.com.

Sometimes it was local TV media, sometimes national networks like the Outdoor Life Channel, and sometimes it was independent filmmakers. No matter how dead-tired or brain-dead I was, I always did my best to make time for the person behind the camera after the race. I did so because I knew sooner or later someone would capture the spirit of pack-burro racing in a video that would appeal to a mainstream audience.

It turns out that I was right. One of these interviews with independent New York filmmaker Trevor Velin eventually led to the production of “Haulin’ Ass,” which recently was released on DVD.

The film focuses on the lives of three pack-burro racers — myself, Roger Pedretti of LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Curtis Imrie of Buena Vista. While the movie may outwardly appear to be just about pack-burro racing, it’s really about much more than that as Trevor delves into our lives and the psychology behind our participation in this sport. This film will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It’s only an hour long but you’ll feel like you’ve physically and emotionally been to the top of Mosquito Pass with each of these characters.

Haulin’ Ass can be purchased online at http://haulinass.flyingcart.com/.

To celebrate the release of the film on DVD, I’m offering a special deal on my book “Wild Burro Tales — Thirty Years of Haulin’ Ass.” For a limited time if you buy the film and are interested in buying my book send $15 and I’ll pay the shipping on the book. Just email your information to jackassontherun@gmail.com and tell me that you ordered the movie “Haulin’ Ass” online.

First, you’ll need to find some green chile. If you are like me you buy some at harvest time from farmers you actually know like Dan Hobbs at Hobbs Family Farm, have them roasted and then freeze them. Then when you need chile you can pull it out of the freezer. Whole chile is also available frozen from speciality stores, better groceries or directly from some farmers. I suppose canned whole chiles would work in a pinch though I’ve not tried this.

Green chile varieties range from mild to hot. Choose one based on your preference. I usually prefer a medium-hot variety. For this dish you’ll also need, of course, some chicken breasts, jack cheese, bacon, shallots or small onions, baby arugula greens, carrots and guacamole.

It’s simple. Run the oven up to 375 degrees. Quarter the carrots lengthwise. Chop a slice of bacon or two and thinly slice the shallots. Mix together the carrots, bacon chunks and shallots in a baking dish and put them in the oven to roast. You’ll want to leave them up to 45 minutes, bring them out and stir halfway through, until they start to caramelize at the edges.

In another heavy baking dish place your chicken breast. Salt and pepper, the top it with sliced jack cheese.

Clean your chiles by chopping off the stems, slicing one side lengthwise and removing the seeds with a knife or spoon. Drape the chile over the cheese and chicken. Then place a half-slice of bacon over this and put it in the oven.

While this is all cooking for about 35 minutes or so, whip up a quick guacamole with mashed avocado, chopped tomato, minced red onion and garlic, cilantro or whatever else you like in it.

When the food comes out of the oven, let it cool slightly, then plate it up as pictured, placing the chicken breast on a handful of arugula, surrounding it with the carrots, then topping it with guacamole and some of the shallots from the carrot mix.

Serve it up — this chicken won’t be bland, trust me.