{"id":641,"date":"2016-01-12T03:21:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T03:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/?p=641"},"modified":"2016-01-12T03:21:04","modified_gmt":"2016-01-12T03:21:04","slug":"2016-moment-of-weakness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/?p=641","title":{"rendered":"2016 moment of weakness!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mountain<\/a>It seems to happen every race. I’m in the middle portion and all I can think about is I’m not sure when I’ll do this again!\u00a0 Those thoughts usually hit when you feel like you’ve been running forever.<\/p>\n

It happened last year during the Mountain Mist. It’s billed as the southeast’s toughest trail race.\u00a0 That alone should make you want to skip it.\u00a0 But NOOOOO!\u00a0 That’s not how I operate.\u00a0 That would be too easy. If you read my 2015 report on this race then you remember that it rained the day before and then snowed that night.\u00a0 Not exactly great conditions to run in. But that’s part of the allure of trail racing – to see how much you can physically endure.\u00a0 Why else would people run 31 plus miles, 50 miles and even 100 mile ultras?\u00a0 I remember at some point of the 2015 race saying that running in these conditions just isn’t fun. It was just nasty!\u00a0 Even after missing the last cutoff time I remember thinking that I’m glad I entered, but I’ll never do this one again.\u00a0 I was fine with a DNF (did not finish) ran the best race I knew how to run and it just wasn’t good enough on that day.<\/p>\n

But then it started as it often does for me, on the drive home.\u00a0 I started thinking about what I had done wrong, in training and on race day.\u00a0 Once I spoke with Eric, who has been my unofficial coach, he pointed out a key point – on a course as muddy as that one you can’t try to go around all the mud.\u00a0 You must run through the mud!\u00a0 Running around\u00a0 the mud had cost me precious time.\u00a0 I was ok with that, learned something for the future.\u00a0 My legs were cramping, I was cold, it was\u00a0 muddy and wet, I missed my last cutoff, I’m good.\u00a0 I tried, don’t really care if I ever run that one again.<\/p>\n

But then something happened this year. In a moment of weakness I found my hands on the keyboard and before I knew it I had somehow registered for the 2016 Mountain Mist!\u00a0 What?\u00a0 How did that happen?\u00a0 I’ll tell you how…<\/p>\n

Last year I had the hopes of Grand Slamming with the Huntsville Track Club.\u00a0 To Grand Slam you must complete these 4 races:<\/p>\n

Dizzy Fifties 50k<\/a> on November 21, 2015,
\nRocket City Marathon<\/a> on December 12, 2015,
\nRecover From The Holidays 50k<\/a> on December 31, 2015, and last, but by no means least,
\nMountain Mist 50k<\/a> on January 23, 2016.<\/p>\n

Last year though I had\u00a0 to miss the Recover Ultra, so I was out\u00a0 of the Slam…<\/p>\n

But this year I had finished all of the required races and finished top 10 in my age group at\u00a0 the Recover from the Holidays a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Then I made\u00a0 the mistake of texting Eric to\u00a0 let him know about my finish at the Recover from the Holidays Ultra and he subtly reminded me that I was on track to Grand Slam.\u00a0 I had no intentions of running\u00a0 the Mist but now I’m in – again.<\/p>\n

I honestly question whether I’m in good enough shape to finish but I will line up at the start and see if I get pulled again!<\/p>\n

So that’s how, in a moment of weakness, I registered for a race that I said I’d never run again.\u00a0 Never say never!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It seems to happen every race. I’m in the middle portion and all I can think about is I’m not sure when I’ll do this again!\u00a0 Those thoughts usually hit when you feel like you’ve been running forever. It happened last year during the Mountain Mist. It’s billed as the southeast’s toughest trail race.\u00a0 That … <\/p>\n

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