according to Coach Tim, goes something like this…

Back in the days of logging in the redwoods near Waddell Creek, there was a tree topper who fell from the top of one of the highest redwoods. He landed on one of two giant tires that were randomly out there in the middle of nowhere. He bounced up into the air after hitting the tire, flipped over twice, and came down to land on his feet. And he lived to tell the story.

We were told this story just before heading out on today’s 14 mile training run. The man in the story was unlucky to have fallen, but lucky to have lived. The tires, perhaps, may be lucky to those who come into contact with them. We would have the opportunity to do just that on the run. As Tim put it, “If you kick the tire, you are guaranteed to finish your event.”

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I *wanted* to be in one of the faster waves. I *wanted* to be challenged, pushed, and motivated. Months from now, those may be the words that I will use to describe my experience but, for now, I think words such as humbled, left behind, and discouraged are more on my mind.

TNT sends out the runners in waves as a way to minimize the impact on the running routes and, at the same time, attempt to have the majority of the runners finish around the same time. The slower runners therefore begin running first and the faster runners start later. My wave started last, and was made up of the faster runners. The majority of the group was planning to run the farthest distance of the run routes, but there were a few who would turn back sooner.

I could blame my inability to keep pace with the group on my potty stop, however I honestly felt the pace was quick (for a long run) right from the start. I went into the bathroom knowing that I hadn’t a prayer of ever seeing my group again…

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The morning was heating up quickly as the first group headed out onto the trails.  About 2 miles into the run came a hill that seemed pointless to run.  The group was beginning to whither.  The water bottles were emptying quickly and the aid station was a mile away. 

From behind me, I hear someone say that she wasn’t feeling well.  I looked back, seeing a young girl walking behind me.  She said that it was so hot that she thought that she might faint.  She did not have any water. 

I offered her sips from my CamelBak and stayed with her for a bit.  At the top of the hill we stopped to take in the view.  By then she felt a little better. 

"Amber", as I called her mistakenly (having forgotten her name), said that I was her new mentor.  I jokingly told her that I changed her name to protect her identity.  Truthfully, I couldn’t shake the thought of someone getting into a serious emergency situation requiring some sort of alert to be sent out (like the Amber Alerts that get posted on the freeways after a child abduction). 

I told Amber that she would likely be the best prepared participant in the coming weeks.  She had just joined and had apparently missed the many talks and emails on being self-sufficient.  I couldn’t figure out why she went with the advanced group though, but she did finish the run in the end.  Along the way, we discussed fuel-belts, sunscreen, hats and that sort of stuff.  She kept me within her sights for the majority of the run, occasionally sipping more water. 

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With less than a quarter mile to go, our TNT coaches caught a photo of me coming off the bridge and making the final stretch. By the looks of it, you would think that I had many more miles in me. I probably did. The smile on my face make running look like A LOT of fun. Don’t you agree?

Looking for a new hobby? Take up running and you too could be this happy.

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My first official training run was this morning.  The crowd gathering at the local track was impressive in  size.  It is no wonder that TNT raises so much for LLS.

After a pep talk from the head coach, we divided into three groups.  The first group was to run 5-6 miles.  It was to be comprised of experienced runners with a good base, and would be the first to hit the trail.  The second group would go second, running 3-4 miles.  The final group was the newbies, who run:walk 1-2 miles.

The trail is actually a public paved path which is popular in the area.  Our group was warned that there would be cyclist, kids on scooters, and many other walkers and runners.  The coach followed this with a statement indicating that our group was, of course, the most important group out there.  He was joking of course, and he did make that clear.  I immediately laughed and quietly commented that I had suspected that the groups were being told this.   

We were given the ground rules to stay only two wide, and be respectful of others.  This was nice to hear.  I know that I have often hated sharing the trail with such a large group especially when the ground rules seem to have been long forgotten.  I think that it will be interesting being on this side of the TNT crowd for once.

It is clear that TNT will likely test my patience for getting going.  I am so used to running within minutes of getting out of the car.  All of the waiting around was wearing on me.  It didn’t help that YaYa had a soccer tournament which limited me.  As time ticked past the 8 am scheduled run time, I grew more and more worried that I would not get to run the desired 6 miles.  I chose to go with the first group anyhow and just keep an eye on the time.

The group started out at a nice pace.  I found myself moving up towards the front right away as we came up on the walkers from another local training group almost immediately.  This is where it becomes evident who has run in this type of environment, and who has not.  You could almost see the wheels turning in the heads as they tried to figure out how to pass.  I forged ahead cheerfully bidding them good morning and giving the "on your left" warning.  Some followed behind me, and others still hesitated.

In no time, we were at the water station (mile 1 1/2).  What a luxury to not have to carry water.  I grabbed a cup of whatever electrolyte drink de jour was being served, along with a sampling of gummybears, and ran off after dropping them down my throat.  It was apparent that everyone else wanted to linger. 

I soon found myself behind only one person.  He was quickly widening the gap.  I wondered what message that would send to everyone.  I don’t mean to be snooty or showy, I just have limited time.  When the assistant coach caught up to me, I explained this.  This young woman’s running history (what little was shared in the couple of minutes that we ran side by side) is quite impressive.  I believe that she told me that she had run four marathons.  The impressive part is that one of them was at the Olympic time trials.  Before long, she ran past me to catch up with Mr. Speedy Gonzales.  Her ease in acceleration was a lovely site.

A few minutes later, Sheila caught me (and then passed me to chat with another runner that she knew).  We ran together throughout the second half of the run.  Like me, she also has 12 marathons under her belt, but her last one was over 20 years ago.  She continually told me that she wasn’t sure if she could even finish a marathon now.  This amazed and puzzled me.  My reply came as we passed the runners from the two other groups.  I told her that  EVERYONE was capable of finishing the marathon, but how well each of us did in the race was a totally different matter.

Shiela and I ran well together.  She is my first new running friend.  We arrived back at the track in perfect timing, and YaYa made it to soccer right on time.