I had been trail running consistently for a few years as one component of adventure racing training.
After a tough year of illness, serious injury and divorce I decided to run a trail 50K.
I had never run that distance before and although I had spent a lot of time on trails it had been too sporadic.
I was under trained for that distance and weak mentally from too many "life hits" that had happened in such a short period of time.
And in reality that was why I needed to run the 50K.
Because I WAS under trained.
Because I was still sick.
Because I was mentally weakened.
Because it would hurt.
And I wanted to know if I could find the mental and physical energy to dig deep enough to finish the run.
Was I tough enough to finish it?
Or wasn't I?...................
I was making good time and felt solid and strong, but kept trying to hold myself back anyway not wanting to go out too fast.
Not wanting to implode.
I was totally in the zone, enjoying the run, life was good.
I was fine for the first 18 miles.
By the time I hit 19 everything in my lower body began to cramp.
I was on medication and could not take anything for the cramping and everything only continued to tighten up more and more with each passing mile.
Over the next few miles running became shuffling became limping became walking.
Everything in my lower body was one continuous tight muscle and my good and solid run became a thing of the past.
People passed me and I continued to struggle to walk.
One step in front of the other one step in front of the other one step in front of the other...........
Runners had eight hours to complete the course if they wanted to be counted among official finishers.
I had to cross a field, maneuver across a shallow stream and then hit the final section of single track to the finish.
I made it to the single track, looked up and through the trees I could see the very large digital clock at the finish line counting down the time.
With alarm I saw that I had 1:47 left to go. One minute forty seven seconds to make it an official finish.
I started to kick it in and something that I could only call magical happened.
I started to run faster and then faster and then faster still until I was sprinting.
I was running just as fast as I could and I saw people at the finish line clapping and cheering me on.
I crossed the finish line, slowed down, stopped and then leaned forward and rested my hands on my thighs, trying to catch my breath.
I had no idea if I had made it or not.
As I was still trying to breathe a guy came running down the hill yelling at me so excitedly you would have thought he had just won the lottery.
"Do you know what your time was?? Do you know what your time was??"
I looked up at him breathlessly and said "No - what was it?
7:59:59
True story............
A few pictures of my favorite trails.
They are located in middle Tennessee and I spent many years trail running, navigating and mountain biking on these trails in every kind of weather. I knew every inch of that place.
Across the road from the extensive trail system is a huge reservoir and I also spent many years exploring every single cove by kayak..............
I surreptitiously left this trail gnome one day at the entrance to the mountain bike trails, because in middle Tennessee it is almost tradition for all trails to have a gnome (to bring safety and good luck to those who travel the trails) and I thought that my trails needed one too.
This little guy has sat in exactly the same place for the last four years............
