Saturday, July 9, 2011

Dirty Dozen And Half Dozen Endurance Run

Fly Endorphin Dude, Fly!

The Dirty Dozen And Half Dozen Endurance Run marked Endorphin Dude's 26th life time marathon, and coincidentally enough, the marathon caped crusader's bib number was 26! This was definitely a good sign.  Karma was on my side this time around.  For the first time in weeks, I felt healthy!  Acupuncture has done wonders for my nagging injuries, and I seriously feel like a born again runner.  Different things work for different people, and I am ecstatic to have found the treatment that works for me.  Being on the injured reserve list is no fun, and I am so happy to be back on the marathon circuit!

I chose to run a local twelve hour race as my comeback 50k.  To get Marathon Maniac credit, any 12 or 24 hour race is considered an ultra, so the minimum mileage needed is 31.  I can comfortably walk a 50k in about 10 hours, so I had no concern about finishing. The course is a 3.1 mile loop with approximately 98% dirt fire trails. Total elevation gain on the loop is about 150 feet. An additional .7 mile loop was available to run for the last hour of each timed event, starting at hour 5 for the 6-hour runners and hour 11 for the 12-hour runners.  My plan to finish in 10 hours got thwarted by headaches caused by the sun and killer acorns and murderous twigs.

Fortunately, Tylenol alleviated my mini migraines, but sadly, there was nothing I could have done about the acorns and twigs.  I swear, with every step that I took, these forest props would ricochet off my Mizunos and hit my eye, leg, arm, and throat!  I got pegged so many times that at times I felt like Tessie Hutchinson, the reluctant winner of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery."  It's not often that Endorphin Dude will make a literary reference, but this is one of the marathon caped crusader's all time favorite short stories.  Others include William Faulkner's "A Rose For Emily," and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart." And just for the record, my all time favorite novel is Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" and I totally dig William Shakespeare's "Macbeth."  Really.  Bet you didn't know that about Endorphin Dude!  In any case, these little oak nuts and rogue branches made life somewhat difficult, but I made it through the day with minimal cuts and scrapes.

I wasn't kidding about those acorns!
I believe this was at mile 1.5.  We all still look so fresh.
I can play the evil paparazzi game too!  By the way, Not That Lucas (the guy in the photo) qualified for Marathon Maniacs with this race.  He looks more like he's going to beat up the paparazzi than running!
There's Cora and Christine. Sounds kinda like a band: Cora & Christine.
According to Not That Lucas, this person is known as "Weird Haired Mom."  I think she looks more like Pink.  I kinda want to break out into song and dance right now. I'm comin' up so you better get this party started!
Fellow Marathon Maniac Valerie Hower running. She must have passed me a dozen times.
"Uncle Mike." This guy ran 69.3 miles. Wow.
Action Shot!

When I hit the half way mark, I had to take a break.  My head pounded so hard that I needed to sit down to fuel myself with a hot dog and a Tylenol.  The good thing was that I felt much better after doing this.  The not so good thing is that I sat there for over 45 minutes, which really cut into my goal of completing the 50k in 12 hours.  Thankfully, I had Ultra Woof around to pace me.  Furthermore, my sciatic nerve wasn't acting up!  However, I knew I couldn't goof off at the aid stations for the remainder of the day, so I hustled.  I limited the aid station pit stops to the bare minimum.  I dodged all the evil acorns and killer twigs.  My diligence paid off, as I finished my 50k with 13 minutes to spare.  Woo Hoo!

Yay!
Yeah, we're a good looking bunch, what can I say.
Not That Lucas, Weird Haired Mom, and Endorphin Dude. Sounds like the Justice League of America!
Titanium Score Board: 19 Down, 33 To Go.

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