A Tale Of 2 Races

I have mentioned the Blacks Hills Runners Club in previous posts. They are crazy, hardcore, fast, intense runners. I find them very difficult to keep up with but hell everyone needs a challenge. So I decided to sign up Jesse and I up for their Victoria Secret Dirty Half Marathon, it was part of the BHRC trail series. I had heard from a bunch of people that it is a very challenging course and also quite wet due to a few creek crossings and walking up a creek for a while. Jesse and I ran this one separately and had very different experiences. They were not kidding, this course was insane. I hardly call it a run since it included climbing up a steep rocky incline that was more boulder scramble than run. And there were so many steep parts that I was just happy I could keep moving. There were some runnable sections and I enjoyed them the most but it was very technical and any time I started feeling confident and looked up I would trip on a rock or root and come back to reality that I was in way above my skill level. I also spent most of it very much alone. It was a bit creepy to be out in the deep woods, following a trail that seems to vanish every now and then. The views were beautiful and I did stop to take a few pictures. I knew I was not out there for time so I was not too concerned until I realized that I was halfway through, two hours had gone by and I was in dead last place. I kept hoping someone was behind me since I have never been last but at each aid station I was told I was it and keep up the good work.

It was a bit disheartening and I really should not be surprised. I would hardly say that I trained for this event but the aches and pains I was experiencing were new and I didn’t know how to deal with them. I was carrying my Nathan bottle and the right side of my back hurt so much it was hard to breathe. There was an evil catch in my hip that was also making it hard to move. I was cursing my stupid idea to run this race. The water crossing at mile seven and my odd foot falls were causing a huge blister on the outside of my left heel, what a strange place for a blister. I caught up with a few girls and one man at an aid station and tried to keep up with them for a while but fell back into last. I had a rough idea as to where I was since I did wear my GPS watch but who knows how accurate it was while in the woods. When I reached the last long hill up to the finish line I was handed the Popsicle stick with number 62 on it, the last person to finish. I was crushed and made Jesse pretty nervous since I usually walk around after a race and this time I just plopped down on the grass and tried not to sob too loudly. He kept telling me supportive things like “you finished” and “the people that don’t even start are the real last place” and things like that. It helped and I pulled myself up and decided this was the perfect opportunity to try my new Undress. This is a garment I ordered on a Kickstarter site back in November and it finally came in the mail. Check out the website. This thing is incredible and totally worth the wait (www.theundress.com), hell it even brought a smile to my face after this insane event.

I can be a very mental runner, Jesse knows this well and has seen me at all states of euphoria and extreme anger. This run made me pretty sad and I needed something to restore my love of trails and being outside. So after 13.1 miles on Saturday, on a trail that kicked my ass we went out for more. I did a bunch of stretching Saturday night and Sunday we went and hiked the Cathedral Spires trail from the Sylvan Lake parking lot all the way to the other end and back, about 5 miles or so. The start was a bit drizzly and cool but the sun came out and it ended up being a beautiful hike. Jesse and I talked a lot about the trail and that half marathon and what being last really means. We can get pretty philosophical when we are hiking. We came to the end of the trail and it started to rain on us again but it felt wonderful. It was a great way to remind myself what I can do and not to let one event break me down. We started our hike back to the car and even though I was hurting I am glad we did it. I love hiking with Jesse, we always have such a great time. The Black Hills have so many trails and I am happy that we were able to experience as many of them as we did.

As Chrysa mentioned above, I had a very different experience during the Dirty Half Marathon. After a tough Buffalo Marathon I took a little break from distance running. I would go on the occasional 4 or 5 mile jog, but I mostly took it easy this summer, in terms of running anyway. I really focused on hiking and upper body strength. As I mentioned in a previous post I have been inspired by American Ninja Warrior and I’m trying hard to be “Fit For 40.”

The short runs and hiking may have been what the doctor ordered for me after all. I had a really fun time during the Dirty Half. I really concentrated on being in the moment. I didn’t bring my timing watch but I did bring my phone with me as I ran. I really wanted to take pics and document my experience. This was going to be my last race of the summer so I wanted to end on a very positive experience. It worked…even though the course was really tough.

The course started on a rocky path that lead into the Black Hills. Most of the first half of the course was up hill. As we ascended through the cool morning air I knew this was going to be the hardest half marathon I have ever run. The path wound through the trees and opened onto an amazing mountain vista. Based on my breathing I could tell we had climbed significantly.

Once we wound through the tree line near the top of the mountain there was a downhill portion. This is where I came into my own. The path smoothed out and I felt light on my feet as I glided through the wood. I caught up to some of the pack and followed them to one of the aid stations. This would be the last of the downhill section. It was all uphill from here.

Disaster struck at mile 5 or 6. I was enjoying the run on a flat section when I lost my concentration and rolled my ankle. I didn’t hit the ground fully but I could tell this was going to slow me down. It was a good thing I was having such a good time rumbling through the mountains. I didn’t let the injury hamper my enjoyment.

The course itself was very technical and I couldn’t afford another loss of concentration. The risk of severe injury was very real. Just before the boulder scramble there was a treacherous cliff section. One slip and I would be a goner. Happily I didn’t have any additional problems. I crossed through the lumber yard (you heard me), through the trees again, onto the prairie, across the creeks, and across the finish line.

I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. Not bad for a guy who stopped to take pics and rolled his ankle early in the race. I had that euphoria of physical exhaustion and accomplishment and I couldn’t have been happier. The race did take its toll. After the race I walked back to the Jeep to change and inspect the damage to my ankle. It was already pretty swollen and the rest of my body didn’t feel too great either. I took a little time cooling off in the air conditioning before hobbling back to the finish area to meet Chrysa. One I got there I found out that we both won door prizes. Along with seeing my beautiful wife cross the finish line it was a great way to end a great run.

Happily, I healed like Wolverine. The swelling went down by the next morning and I was able to hike with Chrysa. I’m so happy and proud of her. South Dakota really has instilled in us a love of nature and physical activity that we will take with us wherever we go.

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