2012 Uwharrie Mountain Run

February 4, 2012 -

20 miles completed on the toughest course I've ever been on.....   by far!  Yay!

Uhhh, ok...  so I had foolishly registered for the 40 mile race.  This would be a great training run for the Umstead 100, says Frank Lilley and Scott Wingfield!  Sounds like a great idea!  I've never run 40 miles before, but surely I can make it...  so why not try it here, at Uwharrie?

Well within the first mile (which was a climb), I knew this was a bad idea!  I still had all intentions of aiming for the 40 miles, though.  So I tried to conserve and I walked a lot.  Hiked, actually.  There was nothing easy about it, even when not running.  I ran when I could...  I even have this picture to prove it!  But I soon realized 40 miles wasn't going to happen.  I was not prepared for what this course brought.

Leading up to the race, Jon had been dealing with tendonitis around the ankle, so I didn't think he was going to run.  He'd registered for the 20- miler.  (Smart man!)  But come race morning, he decided to run it anyway.  Our races started an hour apart, but mine started late...  so I knew Jon was only 40 minutes behind me.  As I walked, knowing he'd be running, I thought he'd catch up to me at some point.  And he did...  around 9 miles.  At this point, I told him I would be stopping at 20 miles...  didn't think I'd have any chance of making the cutoff, if it took me longer than 6 hours to the half-way point. 

He had been running up to this point, but he was tiring as well, and started a walk/run with me.  We contemplated quitting several times along the way (LOL!) but kept clicking off the miles.  I was so tired of climbing hills...  hills so steep that I could barely walk up them.  And of course, it had to rain on and off the entire time.  I was so done with this race, mentally, that I could hardly stand it.  I was becoming angry!

Somewhere around mile 17, I saw Scott Wingfield on his return trip.  So he was around mile 23, looking strong!  I knew he had 40 miles in him.  He could see I didn't.

I continued on and finally made it to the 20 mile finish area...  took about 6.5 hours.  Knowing I'd never make the cutoff, why continue to struggle with this race?  Jon was finished, we were together, it made so much more sense to shuttle back to the car together and just be done.  So that's what I did.

Jon received his awesome finishers prize...  a handmade piece of pottery.  Because I was tecnhically "dropping out", I got nothing for my 20 miles.  Jon continues to taunt me with his prize.  :o)

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Since the race, I've struggled with some disappointment...  saying "you didn't even try for the 40".  But the logistics of the situation just made more sense to do what I did.  I will run this race again.  But I need to prepare much better for it.  I need training on this course.  Or at least on something comparable...  maybe Medoc or some single-track at Umstead.

On one hand, I think I'll register for the 20- miler next time.  I know I can get through it, and would hope to greatly improve my time.  Hell, even the 8- miler out there would be difficult, but it'd be fun!  But there's the other side of me who wants to register for the 40- miler again. 

I'd have to shave at least an hour off my time in the first half, to even want to make an attempt at the second half.  It's hard, being a slow runner...  being out there for THAT long.  I sometimes feel like if it'll take me 12 hours to finish, why even bother?  But that's not the right attitude to have.  I have a year to think about it.

I just know how I felt at the end of 20 miles this year.  To know I had to turn around and do the entire course again?  Oh, hell no!  I couldn't have done it...  but I'm proud of what I did do!