Earlier this month on April 7, I stood in the predawn chill to begin a
50-mile, all-day race called the American River 50-mile Endurance Run.
This marked my third time entering the race, having
finished it in both 2008 and 2009.
Now, at age 55, I wondered whether I could really finish
this beast of a run that includes trails and almost 3,500 feet of climbing.
Shuffling off into the Sacramento dawn with 850 other runners, I felt at peace
as I began the arduous journey toward the finish line in Auburn.
After all, I had nothing to prove. I’ve run many marathons
and cycled long distances that have tested my physical and mental resolve.
But here I was again, pushing the limits of my body
because I’d made the mistake of suggesting to my friends Bryan Gillette and Steve
Sherman that their bucket list should include one day running a 50-mile race—like
I had.
What was I thinking? Of course they took up the
challenge. Gillette has cycled 300 consecutive miles in 24 hours, and Sherman
has competed in two Ironman triathlons. Not to mention these guys are almost a
decade younger than I am.
And heaven forbid they sign up for the 50-miler without
me. It was my idea, after all.
So, along with my friends and my wife, Pam, who in 2008
also finished the race, I signed up despite my better judgment and a hamstring
injury that had been plaguing me for several months.
We began to train in earnest in January. We’re all in
good shape anyway, but now we increased our distance, and by March we were
running as far as 31 miles on Saturdays.
As we trained, my hamstring improved, but my left knee
started to bother me. My wife, unfortunately, had to stop training due to a leg
injury as she finished a 27-mile run one weekend. But injuries come with the
territory, not unlike challenges in a Hero’s Journey.
Anyway, after beginning the race with my friends, I settled
into my own pace and soon found myself alone with my thoughts, doing what I’ve
loved since childhood: running.
Yet about 28 miles into the race, as inevitable pain
began to take its toll, I started to strategize about gracefully dropping out.
This is another given of ultra running, another setback along the Hero’s
Journey: the illusion that your negative thoughts are actually you speaking to
yourself. In fact, they’re almost never you. Rather, they are hard-wired
defense mechanisms designed to return you to safety and the sofa.
The key is to just keep going, and by mile 41, I knew I’d
finish. With reports about my friends from my wife at aid stations along the way, I knew we
would all finish.
And we did. We finished a run and a day we will never forget.
And now
none of us have anything to prove.
Until the next challenge.
Crossing the finish line!
After the finish: Steve Sherman, Bryan Gillette, and Jim Ott
Special thanks to Jan Sherman, Audrey Gillette, Pam Ott and our good friend Jerry Pentin who made the trek with us to provide encouragement and support along the way, and who helped us in our months of training leading up to race day.
