Gordo Running

When you toe the line, the course is the same for everyone.  The course does not care about how fast you run it, what your day was like, who you are, what you've done at other races, or how your preparation went.  The course will humble you and can even defeat you.  The course is what it is, nothing we do as runners will change it.  During my first foray into the 50 mile distance, the course humbled me, but certainly did not defeat me. Just a heads up, there might be some explicit word in this one as I replay what was going on in my head during the race.  Sorry Grandmas. I'm starting this Sunday night just after getting out of an epsom salt bath.  I have a blister that seems to be taking over the second toe on my right foot and four blackened toenails that I may lose. Jason, Anne, and I had talked about bumping up from the 50K we did in 2016 to a 50 mile race.  I forget exactly how/who, but somehow Wild Hare 50 miler was the chosen race. ...

The crazies here in San Angelo talk of running their age in miles on their birthday.  I.... didn't do that this year.  You can tell I'm getting ready for a looooong race by the fact that 17 miles is considered tapering.  I made the mistake of destroying myself in the gym Friday afternoon, so I figured that a 17 mile run would be rough. I was right. Unfortunately, no one showed up.  But, I guess that's fitting.  Most of my long training runs here have been solo.  I have no Ryan Byron anymore.  It's all good, I still had a run to get in.  Thursday, I scouted out part of my planned route and found out that it was NOT a good idea.  There were a number of unchained, unfenced dogs that did not abide by me running on THEIR stretch of road.  I ended up having to dodge traffic and run on the grassy section in the center of the road.  If they really wanted to bite me, they'd have to work for it.  Since it was my birthday, I decided to...

First off, I had a long post written just needing finishing touches and pics... it got deleted.  HATE when that happens.  I started writing Sunday but, you know, Stranger Things Season 2 and Halloween happened.  I can't be held accountable, can I? So, Saturday I ran two races, a first for me.  I didn't go all out the second race, but it was still a fun and interesting challenge.  The first race that I did was a 10K trail race at the San Angelo State Park.  Welllllll... there's a story about that.  A few weeks back we (The Good, Bad, and Ugly run group) were out there measuring and marking the trail.  Dennis and I took off ahead, followed the pink ribbons, and finished with our watches coming out to exactly 10K.  When Kent came back to the parking lot a few minutes later, we told him.  He looked confused, asking "did you run that one loop?" No, we hadn't.  "Oh!  Well you have to run that loop too!"  Such is trail running i...