Hello Darkness My Old Friend

FUCK MY LEGS ARE GONE...was all I could think about for the first hour and a half of yesterdays Turkey and TATURS trail race...I was running the 25k and LMS was running the 50k.

With Ike pissing rain like it was Noah's day it was shaping up to be a mud hole. I predicted no rain and sunny on Sunday and I nailed. The day dawn beautifully. We had spent Sat. marking the trail and doing a little clean up. I was really looking forward to a nice long run. My legs have been trashed from all the training I have been doing and this was the standard no taper taper for the run...shit it is only 25k anyway.

The Turkey Mountain course is basically roots and rocks on top of roots and rocks...with short steep climbs with some roots and rocks. In other words dump 3 inches of rain on some roots and rocks and you pretty much have the course.

Shelley got started before first light and her little headlamp bounded into the distance. We got lined up and I hadn't warmed up at all. I figured the first few miles of trail would be packed and have us walking so I would get my legs warmed up fine. I have been having issues at the start of my runs and my calves Achilles just lock/cramp/fucking explode.

We hit the first up and it was as if I was getting hit in the Achilles by a pissed of midget with a baseball bat...I knew I was fucked. OH man it hurt. I could almost run the flats but if the ground went up I was hosed. I was reduced to a walk almost from the start. Man, I got depressed as a motherfucker. Like a dip shit I kept trying and trying but my calves heals just wouldn't let go. I was sick to my stomach it hurt so bad...after about 1:20 it just sort of got better like all of a sudden. My spirits were immediately lifted. I thought just cruise it until 2 hours and if you still feel good run as hard as you can for an hour and see what happens.

Around 1:55 I see our friend Dee on a lower trail, I decided to take off to see if I can catch her...I pass my friend Bob and hit the switch back to the trail I saw Dee on...there is a log across the trail I do by best hurdle catching my toe on it of course and splat...yard sale on the trail...dumbass...I hop back up and catch Dee...we chat briefly and I am now on a mission.

One thing about sucking as a runner you have to take what you can get...I decided that I would not be passed in the last 1 hour plus to the finish line and I was going to pick off at least 10 people on the way home...

I was running like I was shot out of a cannon. The big hill or wall on the course is called lip buster cause someone fell face first on it thus splitting their lip...I saw 5 or sicks people starting the hill...I knew I could catch a bunch if I hauled...2 down 8 to go. I got to the top of lip buster and there were 3 more dudes just starting down the long decent to pipeline...I was on them in about a 1/4 mile...5 down. Feeling like I was flying...hit a few switch backs and get a couple more...7 down...came around a blind corner and saw a group of 5...see ya later...12...I had less than a couple miles to go and I see Shelley heading out for her second loop and she was IN FRONT and smiling! I was so proud to see her in the lead and cruising. I see the second place female about 5 minutes later. I was hoping Shelley could keep it together and not let her sneak up. I wind up catch 5 or 6 more before the finish which was a 3:21 suck time but man the last half was so awesome.

I started my re hydration process with beer and sit around waiting on LMS to make the turn home...A few of the men's 50k guys are coming in..the first guy won by about 30 min. then second then a couple more...then SHELLEY! She was 10th OA and 1st Female! Second would not come in for another 36 minutes.

Great day on the trails!