Back? Really?

It's ironic that the last post is one about how I'm back on track and ready to gear up for the Arkansas Traveller. Ironic because I didn't run it. I thought I was mentally focused and ready to put in the hours of training needed to do a 100 mile race, and do it well. I wasn't.

I missed a week of training and never got back on track. I went to Memphis, Tennessee to run a fairly easy 50K, but even that went badly. I went out strong and was in 7th or so place when two other guys and I made a wrong turn. That wrong turn cost us a good 20 minutes plus and I never recovered. For the first time in just about anything I've ever done I DNF'd at 20 miles. I was walking back to my truck to feel sorry for myself and drink a couple of cold, dark beers when I realized that the top to my cooler was off, the ice melted, and the beer was fire hot. Just one more slap to the face.

But to give the whole story, let's go back one night to the night before the race. I decided to camp alone in a state park about 30 minutes from the start/finish line. I am fairly methodical when it comes to packing before a race. I make a list, check it several times, and then pack and load. Well, I overlooked two very important things: 1) bug spray, and 2) the fact that it would be close to 350 degrees inside my tent on an August night in Tennessee. I was eating dinner at my campsite around 7:15 p.m. It was a race. I was racing to get the food into my mouth before the mosquitos carried it or me away. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer and had to get in my tent. At 7:30. In daylight. I tried to settle in and watch Entourage on my iPhone (btw, if there is a better show than Entourage - ever - I haven't seen it. That show is pure gold baby). It was hard to even do that because it was so freaking hot.

Finally around 9ish I started to doze off. Just about the time I was falling asleep a group of kids cut through my camp. I thought I was under freaking attack until I realized that genius over here set up camp right next to a trailhead. Nice work sucko. So I finally fall asleep, if you can call some semi-conscious state asleep. I woke up, just happy that the battle was over.

Now fast forward to the race, getting lost, and finding hot beer. Just not my day. I returned home to Starkville and realized I was not ready for the Traveller.

So instead I took 3 weeks off in September and had a great start back running this past Saturday with a nice 10+ mile run followed by a fairly quick 5+ miles on Monday. Both runs were awesome. I am glad to be back, hopefully for good this time!

As for the Arkansas Traveller, good friend Cade Smith ran it. And ran it well. Cade finished his first 100 in 20:49, good enough for 3rd place overall. Great run by Cade.