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Promises
of the Promise Land; The Memoir of a First Time Ultra-runner There were moments during my
training that I thought the Promise Land 50K may not be worth it.
On my long training runs when I worried that I had neglected the
dirty dishes in the sinks, longed for the missed opportunities at the Buy
1 Get 1 Half-off Sale at my favorite shoe store,
and abused my digestive system with gobs of GU and undulating
terrain. And there were
moments that day during the pouring rain, trudging my way up a mountain of
mud that I thought…is this fun? And
you all know where this is heading: yes it was worth it and yes it was
fun. Absolutely, brilliant,
supreme, unadulterated fun. It was fun to climb to the top of a mountain mudslide while praying for hard ground (never prayed for that before!) then fly through a bright green mountain meadow. It is was awesome to have the cool sweet water from Apple Orchard Falls rush thru my Masais after cruising down the rough, flooded trail, all the while hopping rocks and dodging major spills. It was thrilling to know that only one or 20 miles ahead were volunteers (and loving devoted husbands, Hubby Bubby, you ROCK!) at the aid stations that not only filled my Camelback and fed my hungry body, but fueled my need for encouragement and love. It was remarkable to push through the last 2.5 miles that although was a downhill, felt as hard as running at an incline. And lastly, it as absolutely, brilliant, supreme, unadulterated fun to cross underneath a banner that transformed me from a runner who loves the trails to an Ultra-runner who loves the trails, the anticipation of race day and the rush of a finish line. Once across the line, muddy, bloody and bruised, I was greeted by my loved ones with sincere high-fives and was embraced by Dr. Horton with a sincere finishers hug. There are so many other
moments that fill me with amazement; I can only attempt to describe them. A
sea of headlamps, their carriers only illuminated with flashes of
lightning and the crash of thunder; the swift lifesaving of a wayward
salamander, who innocently saw April 22nd as a lovely moist day
to traverse the same trail; the belief that once atop Apple Orchard Falls
I would never, ever have to go uphill again for the rest of my life; the
surprise to find that running that last downhill after the Apple Orchard
Falls climb wasn’t that easy after all! Since this is my first ultra, I don’t know if the yin & yang moments of true grit and pure beauty accompany every race, or if the 2006 Promise Land 50K was just extraordinary. I suppose there is only one absolutely brilliant, supreme and unadulterated fun way to find out! THANK YOU DR. HORTON! THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! THANK YOU CREW!
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