Getting So.Much.More

This past weekend Phoenix and I had the opportunity to volunteer at a trail run, the Cross Timbers Trail Run up on the shores of Lake Texoma, check it out here  http://crosstimberstrailruns.com.   I had never been to a trail race before, I had never been to this particular trail before.  To be honest, I kind of "poo-pooed" anyone who talked about tough trails in North Texas,being from Northeast Ga where there are mountains and all.

First of all, I had a blast.  Phoenix had a blast.  We met some amazing people who were volunteering and saw folks that possessed "true grit".   I'll set it straight, what little I saw of the trail was not joke, it was fairly steep and very technical. Over the years race organizers and athletes have named several features  SOB Hill, Stairway to Heaven, Monkey Butt hill, etc.  I did not see all of them in person, but I heard the athletes talking about them.

 We worked at  an Aid Station (affectionately dubbed the Love Shack) and the Love Shacks location allowed us to interact with all athletes running all distances.  They were all amazing.  But since we saw the 50 milers four times we interacted with them the most and talked with them the most.  There were couples doing it together, 50 and 60 year old men and women doing it.  A man who was doing this very same race for the 30th consecutive year.   A somewhat fabled and well know veteran athlete , who was quite hilarious and fun to talk to.  Check out his website:   http://runningbadhabits.com .   He even has a book, I have not read it but I intend to.  I  bet it is hilarious.  It is called Running and other Bad Habits.   We also met a gentleman from Maine who said "he decided to get back into shape so he came to Texas to run the 50 mile distance on Saturday and then the Austin  Marathon on Sunday".  He finished the 50 miler, and we checked, he finished the marathon the next day in 4:14 (an impressive time as a stand alone, let alone after just completing a 50 mile technical trail).   Another athlete I am "loosely" acquainted with through this amazing little Facebook group called Runners Corner, quit several times during the race, only to finish the 50 miler.  You can read about his experience by following this link:  http://iamsureofthis.com/post/76838126734.  I love, love reading his posts.  There was a man running the 50 mile distance with his Pomeranian.  And, the pomeranian finished right along his masters side.   Another man suffered a twisted ankle within the first five or 10 miles.  When I saw him on his third pass his ankle had swollen to at least three times it's original size and I swear it was tearing his shoes.  But he finished the 50 miler in 2nd or 3rd place I believe.

Now the volunteers.  Some of those folks were out there from 6 am to 10 pm.   Smiling and encouraging the runners.   Phoenix and I were scheduled for 9-5 but stayed until 9, we were really trying to stay until he last runner came through, but we left four on the trail.    Some volunteers had ran the half or full marathon, then spent the day volunteering.  Runners giving back!  It is awesome.

I love the running and triathlon community.  There is not a group of people who genuinely support your athletic endeavors whole heartedly.  Every one of them was a beginner once, and they love to cheer on and lift up new runners.  Many, were overweight or even morbidly obese at one point.  There is nothing they love to see is someone who is out there to improve their health.   They are all fun, and engaging, and fit, and encouraging, the first to jump in and lend a hand. I love being a part of it.  I love that my daughter is discovering it.  She ran a portion of the trail Saturday, and had a chance to run along side Mark Henderson for a spell.  She thought that was pretty cool.

The opportunity to see these athletes in action and talk to some of them was an experience I loved and wouldn't trade for anything.  They braved the dark, and cold, angry raccoons, SOB Hill, Monkey Butt Hill, Stairway to Heaven with pure determination and grit and I cannot even imaging the mental toughness some had to dig for to force them self to finish.   Sure I went out there to earn an entry into a future race, but I came back with So.Much.More.  All those athletes and volunteers left not only an impression on me, but on my 12 yo. daughter as well.  For that, I am thankful.

50 miles today, Austin Marathon tomorrow.  He's "that guy"

Phoenix running the trail

Me Phoenix and Jennie, another volunteer.

Mark Henderson on his last pass through the Love Shack

Just a taste of the entire trail.

Dinner table conversation and Shona's 10k

Oh six months or so ago we implemented a new “tradition” so to speak at the dinner table. Since we all come together as a family and eat dinner together after being separated from each other for 8 hours or more we started asking each other to tell the rest of us three things that happened to them throughout the day and how they felt about it. Now, we are not die hard stringent about making sure we do it every night and some weeks we do it every night and some weeks we do not. Truthfully it is sometimes hard to come up with three things that seem worth of mention. And truthfully I am not sure we have learned too much from each other for the six months or so we have been doing it, although I have to say there have been little tidbits I have gleaned from Chris. Anyways, last week the kids started doing it again, maybe since they are back in school and we are on a more regular schedule, and lo and behold I actually learned something from Phoenix I do not think I would have otherwise had the intuition to pick up on. One of her three things that happened to her was that when we went to the mail box her Highlights Magazine and National Geographic Kids magazine was not there, and had not been for months, and that made her feel sad. I had no clue she looked forward to those magazines every month, In my eyes they were just more pieces of clutter messing up her bedroom, when in reality they were something she welcomed every month with anticipation. I guess Santa is going to have to deliver those again this year for her, if she can wait that long.

So on to the 10k. The day finally arrived. My friend Audie and I had to actually run into Atlanta and pick up our race packets the day before the race. While there we decided to scope out the course…BIG BIG BIG Mistake. Granted the description described the course as challenging, and some even ventured to say it was the most difficult 10k in America, but really, how challenging could it be since it was for all intents and purposes in suburban Atlanta? Well…lets just say in 6.2 miles there were five very steep, very long inclines, with some declines, but nothing that matched the inclines, and it was not an out and back course, it was a linear start at point A and end at Point B route. The first two inclines were by far the most challenging; they were between a half-mile and a mile long each. Being the engineer I am, I am researching the grade change in for each incline cause I am curious that way and beside I feel like I deserve bragging rights. Needless to say those first two inclines we walked up. I actually found my “sweet spot” at mile 3 but was a little hesitant to push myself too hard since I have not run 6.2 miles in over eight years, and I did not want to push only to tank later on in the race, although our second half time was a lot better than our first half time. We completed the race under our goal and have something to shoot for next year. Phoenix and Griffin joined me towards the end and crossed the finish line with me. The Kenyans won. They ran it in 28 minutes (In my dreams I’m a swift and very svelte Kenyan).


Being a part of the race was an experience in itself. There were over 10,000 participants. Live bands and DJs set up along the route, spectators cheering us on, running with Olympic elite, looking forward seeing thousands of runners in front of you and looking back to see droves of runners behind you. There was also a 100k-bike race and a 10k wheelchair and inline skate race as well with all their elite participating. Pretty amazing to experience. All the proceeds benefited the World Children’s Center and apparently the event raised over 2 million dollars for the Children’s Center. Publix supplied all the food at the end of the race, trucks, and trucks of fruit, ice cream, sandwiches, you name it they had it. All free for participants and their families.

Honestly after surveying the route I considered making up an excuse to not show up, but I am glad I did not and made it. Next up (I think) is the Zooma women’s half marathon on November 18th.