runwithdogs
11-30-2009, 01:30 AM
I had all ready been awake for about 20 minutes when the alarm on my phone went off. I pushed down the button to make it snooze and left my head laying on my pillow. For the last 6 months of my life, the most challenging chore of everyday has been rolling myself out of bed. Today would be no different. I finally sat up and threw my running gear together rather quickly and emerged from my tent feeling like I was forgetting something. There was nothing missing, nothing except my sanity. My sanity, lost since I signed up for this dance with the rocks in Virginia's Blue Hills. As I laced up my shoes, I coached myself into the crisp cool morning air with a ready or not here I come. I slowly staggered towards the ranch to find something for breakfast, say my prayers and line up in the field with the 172 other brave souls. After half a blueberry muffin, I checked in with the time keeper and lined up in the dew drenched field. We all stood anxiously waiting, breath rising into the darkness, smiles, fears, apprehensions... nothing matters in these moments. Nothing matters for the next 30 or more hours... nothing matters except for left, right... repeat. This is Massanutten.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Front Royal, VA - Skyline Ranch Resort
5:00 AM - Massanutten Mountain Trails 100
100 Miles of Rockish Hell
I've never had to assemble drop bags for any of the ultras I've run in and I've run in a few. I've always had a crew or have run on loop courses where it's easy to get at my gear at the beginning and end of each loop. This was an entirely new experience for me and one that I truly had no idea what I was getting into. I packed up my drop bags with what I would later realize was the bare minimum. A few gels, drink mix, a zip lock baggy filled with bag balm, a rubber glove and a little index card with some inspiring thoughts. One drop bag had a change of socks. Another had a small windbreak jacket that stuffs into a tiny bag, small enough to hand carry and not be cumbersome. The bare minimum, only the essentials that I thought I'd need. I had entered into the Stonewall Jackson Division. No pacer, No Crew, no problem right? Right?...... riiiiiight.
We received the command to start and all of us took off down the road. I decided to hang out near the back of the pack this year and ease my way into the race. No sense in sprinting down the road when you have 100 miles to run. As we made our way through the darkness, i twas fun to follow the bobbing glow of a few hundred headlamps. I passed Gary Knipling while a Whip-or-Whil was heard in the distance. Gary honed in on it and pointed it out to a fellow runner. I smiled at his friendliness and was quickly reminded why I love this sport so much... people like Gary make it worth running. As we continued down the road I was all ready wanted to get back into my tent and wisk myself back to sleep. Instead, I took the left at Buzzard Rock and headed up into the forest and enjoyed the first climb of the day.
Read the rest of this race report here. (http://sherpajohn.blogspot.com/2009/05/rr-massanutten-rocks.html)
Race report by Sherpa John.
http://www.sherpajohn.blogspot.com/
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Front Royal, VA - Skyline Ranch Resort
5:00 AM - Massanutten Mountain Trails 100
100 Miles of Rockish Hell
I've never had to assemble drop bags for any of the ultras I've run in and I've run in a few. I've always had a crew or have run on loop courses where it's easy to get at my gear at the beginning and end of each loop. This was an entirely new experience for me and one that I truly had no idea what I was getting into. I packed up my drop bags with what I would later realize was the bare minimum. A few gels, drink mix, a zip lock baggy filled with bag balm, a rubber glove and a little index card with some inspiring thoughts. One drop bag had a change of socks. Another had a small windbreak jacket that stuffs into a tiny bag, small enough to hand carry and not be cumbersome. The bare minimum, only the essentials that I thought I'd need. I had entered into the Stonewall Jackson Division. No pacer, No Crew, no problem right? Right?...... riiiiiight.
We received the command to start and all of us took off down the road. I decided to hang out near the back of the pack this year and ease my way into the race. No sense in sprinting down the road when you have 100 miles to run. As we made our way through the darkness, i twas fun to follow the bobbing glow of a few hundred headlamps. I passed Gary Knipling while a Whip-or-Whil was heard in the distance. Gary honed in on it and pointed it out to a fellow runner. I smiled at his friendliness and was quickly reminded why I love this sport so much... people like Gary make it worth running. As we continued down the road I was all ready wanted to get back into my tent and wisk myself back to sleep. Instead, I took the left at Buzzard Rock and headed up into the forest and enjoyed the first climb of the day.
Read the rest of this race report here. (http://sherpajohn.blogspot.com/2009/05/rr-massanutten-rocks.html)
Race report by Sherpa John.
http://www.sherpajohn.blogspot.com/