Sunday, February 03, 2008

my own little fat ass 50k



so saturday i did my own little fat ass 50k on wildwood...


i started out the day fairly early getting up at 5:45 and making some tea and eating some breakfast. i knew this would be a "solo" day as my training budy was running a trail marathon this day.


on the 40 minute drive to the trailhead, it started to snow. very cool. we don't get snow here much ever. i was glad i brought extra clothes as i hate being cold when running. i tend to overdress, as i hate being cold. that is why training in the winter is a difficult thing for me.


i just heard Tom Petty, singing a song with the words, "running down a dream" on the Superbowl halftime show. that pretty much says it. i have the carrot out in front of me and i don't mind putting in the work, cold or not...


i started of the day to mentally do 26 miles. but as the snow continued, hey why not do a 50k? afterall, i had no where to be and i had enough water and food to do it.


so, there it was, me running through 3 inches of the new stuff, no other tracks on the trail but mine. solitude, quiet, oh, this was fun.


i was running slow but that pretty much says how most of my runs are. but i was enjoying this day. i wasn't cold. i was moving forward. it was quiet but blissful actually.


the farther i got north on the trail, the more snow there was. very cool.


but i would see a half a dozen others later in the day. four of them in shorts!!! ok, they were running shorter i figure, they were carrying no water and running very fast. the other two were running slower and i would see them 2-3 hours later going the opposite way on the trail. really a quiet day for me on this trail.

i knew i was running slowly, as there were sections of 2-3 miles that all i did was run, duck for low branches, run another 75 feet, do it all again. i also witnessed multiple branches coming down right in front of me from being too weak to hold the weight of the snow and ice, come crashing down. i was happy not to be underneath these. i won't call them "widow makers" as i know what those are living near a logging community many of my life.


the day ended less than desirable. the temps went up, the snow started to melt, and all i was running through was puddles of snow melt. my feet were frozen!!! reminded me of capital peak runs!!! i was even contimplating on getting gortex shoes following this run.


i was happy to finish. i immedietly got into some dry clothes and ate my protein. sipped on a cold cup of tea on the way home.

the hot shower was wonderful. a nice cup of hot tea and tuna steak and broccoli was the reward. this was a good run to just enjoy something with the snow we don't get around here very often.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

romantic and a bit creepy your run sounds. just wondering how you carried that much water/food?

Backofpack said...

Sounds wonderful Tom. Bonus to you for doing it on your own - in the cold and without your running partner! We have a guy in our group that wears some kind of waterproof socks - I'm not sure buy I think they are goretex. They look bulky.

Anonymous said...

Good job cranking out a 50k! I was out there Saturday morning too, but on Leif and Salzman. It was magical with all the snow...but also more of a workout. My calves are still sore from running up Salzman in the snow! Know what you mean about those falling branches. I shrieked a couple of times as branches fell near me. What a beautiful morning it was! ...until the rain, but luckily I finished before it started really raining.

See you on the trails!

Danni said...

I love your blog. Sustina intrugues me but more in a terror sort of way. You should try it and report back ;)

Olga said...

We were told you're not far ahead, but I guess we ran as slow (if not slower), so never caught up:) I hear you on the beauty and peacefulness of snowy surrounding and freezing ass in wetness later!
Oh, and BTW, I owe you an apology for keeping asking about your summer 100. I am a dumb head!!! Just sliped my mind...so gear up!

Sarah said...

Sounds like a magical run!

King Arthur said...

I'm so jealous! I was hoping for snow on Sunday at Lord Hill but no such luck. I'll find it this weekend even if I have to go all the way up to the pass.

Ms Eva said...

Sounds like a beautiful morning! I would've extended the planned mileage as well. Wonderful run!

My mom, who lives in Eugene, had a branch like that fall onto her car a few weeks ago... in her driveway! It busted the rear window and did a little more damage but thankfully, no one was hurt.

Anonymous said...

very cool tom, i think we got the snow you experienced on wednesday. downright snowpouring here in chicagoland. 50k in the fresh snow, wow! i too hate the cold and maybe i don't know how to run in the snow, but i just did 6 miles a couple weeks back in 3-4 inches of the stuff and my calves were burning. 50k? not on these newbie legs. i commend you. nonetheless, sounds like a nice peaceful run man. i love those as well. hope your dream comes true. later!

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great run. I love running in the fresh snow.

saschasdad said...

Nice adventure, Tom! Be careful about Goretex - it keeps water in just as good as it keeps it out.

See you at the mud fest!