I Wish I Were a "Real" Dumb Ass

My family and friends would probably disagree with the title knowing that I really am a dumb ass, butI suppose it is all subjective. I consider the true dumb asses to be those who were able to complete all 5 loops for a total of 34 miles and 12,000 feet of elevation gain.

The first loop of the Tiger Dumb Ass 50k went well. Steve and I stuck together and made it through in about 1:38 and after a refill of drinks and gu, and a clothing change for Steve, we were back out for loop 2 with a time of 1:45. A little bit long on the transition, but we roll like that.

Loop 2 was similar to loop 1. The climb was brutal, the descent was slippery, but the trail was beautiful. The loop consisted of one monster climb, rolling terrain after the climb, all on single track trail with lots of twists and turns. There was a bit of snow at the top, howling wind, wooden bridges over trickling streams, all in a dense, lush, green forest. There was mud, there was rain, there was snow, and there was this big hill that kept getting in the way of progress each time we began the next loop.

Loop 3 was a little more difficult. The climb was a little slower and the recovery took a little bit longer. There was still hope, but the body was definitely draining of energy. I carried two bottles and two gu's each loop and ate solid food in between loops. I felt the fueling was good, but it did not put the climbing power back in my legs.

Loop 4 was ugly on the way up. There was times of stumbling backwards and many breaks on the way up. Steve went ahead for a spell, but waited for me about 2/3rds of the way up and made me lead the rest of the way. I complained and joked, but the truth was that I was pissed off that my legs would not carry me up faster. I was having a self pity party that I wasn't as fit as the others who were able to complete 5 loops. Boo Hoo!

After the climb it was a shuffle for the rest of the loop. Steve led the way and I stumbled behind. I knew this would be our slowest loop by far. As we were plodding along an amazing creature lept out of the trees and bounded down the trail like a wild animal. It was not something to be afraid of. It was a sight to see. Steve and I had to step off the trail in amazement as this strange amazing creature flew by us like we were standing still. Oh wait, I guess we were standing still, but even if we were moving she still would have made it look like we were standing still. At some point we realized it was Shawn. She was lapping, or looping us, and she was still kind enough to stop and give hugs. What a Superstar! She ended up winning the race.

The finish was bittersweet. Loop 4 took us 2:24 and there was 2:15 until the cut off. The rule was to calculate your time on the previous loop to decide if you had enough time to head out for loop 5. I did not expect to head out for loop 5 after what the 4th climb did to me, but of course I will probably kick myself for not trying to make it. It was clear that 5 p.m. was the cut off and I was too slow to make it back in time. I guess a marathon with 9,600 feet of elevation gain isn't too shabby.

I woke up this morning after sleeping for nearly 12 hours and ran with the Y-group. I ran 5.5 flat miles around a 9 minute pace and felt decent. Tonight is Kelly's Christmas Light Run with the Y-group in memory of a Y-runclub member that lost her life to cancer. I look forward to this run every year and am thankful for the ability to run in her memory even though we never met. It is great to celebrate life with my running friends doing what we love, running and eating.

To describe the agony of *"The Tiger Dumb Ass Fun Run"* to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind. Jerome Drayton

*This quote was edited :)