I’ve been a trailrunner for many years – since high school, really. And while I’ve always enjoyed running on trails, and enjoy a challenge, I’m also not much for races. As a consequence, I will occasionally come up self-determined races to challenge myself, and give myself a goal to work towards.
In the past, those races have included the Riverwest+ Half-Marathon and the #RunAroundSconnie Progressive – click those links and you can learn more about those races! This Fall, I decided to do another progressive – four days of running, with each day’s run being a longer and longer traditional race distance – 5k, 10k, thirteener, and marathon. Really, thousands (millions?) of people train for these races every year, but how many of them run those races four days in a row? That was my goal (like #RunAroundSconnie), except I would be doing all my races along the Milwaukee River Greenway. Because I like my trailruns to be a bit more unpredictable, each of the races would be LONGER than the stated length, but I really wasn’t entirely sure how much longer until I did the run…
5K+ – Oct 25, 2020. A 5k is 3.1 miles…mine came in at 3.6 miles, and a healthy pace (for me).
10K+ – Oct 26, 2020. A 10k is 6.2 miles – my race came in at 7.4 miles and an OK pace, but not a great one.
Thirteener+: Oct 27, 2020. This one was going to be a bit more challenging because I was due to work at 10a that day, meaning I had to complete the run and be back home and getting ready for work by 9a at the LATEST. So, 13+ miles before 9a, GOT IT…and my pace was still in a good area for me, with a run total of 14.3 miles.
Marathon+: Oct 28, 2020. OK, the big day! 26+ trail miles! I got on the trail bright and early. Parked my car near the trail at the middle point of my loop, and had extra water/snacks in the car, so I could use it as my aid station on the 11-mile loop I was running.
There’s something pretty neat and special about being out in the dark, and you’re the ONLY ONE there, and all you can see is the trail revealed by the headlight you’re wearing. The run got off to a respectable start…but by Mile 10/11, I was slogging…but I got through it. By Mile 18-19, though, I was slogging again. I was approaching Mile 20, …and a mental cloud lifted off me. I felt like I got through The Wall, and I was picking up my pace, feeling better again. I was feeling so good, as a matter of fact, that I pulled out my mobile to text my girlfriend, and tell her I got through The Wall and was approaching the big final stretch!
As I typed out the words to her, though, another text came through, from my boss at my part-time job: “Troy, you know you’re on the calendar for today, right? When will you be here?” It was 1040a, the store had opened at 10a.
Holyyyyyyyyyyy, I completely had messed up, and forgotten that I had agreed to come into work on a day I normally didn’t (because a different employee was on vacation that week). I stopped texting my girlfriend, switched to my boss, and told him I was out on the trail…but only a quarter-mile from my car…I’d be there as soon as I could. Switched back to my girlfriend’s text…”you won’t believe what a maroon I am…”. And headed back to my car as quick as I could, got home, and was back on the road in 30-min…having completed 20.7 of my intended 27 trailrun miles. Sometimes things don’t go the way you intended.
Still, in 4 days, I ran 46 trail miles! It was WONDERFUL.
Next race is now going to be a “penance” marathon and I WILL get my marathon distance yet! I’m going to be doing the virtual End of the World Marathon (from Belize). A good runner friend has done this race every year it’s existed, and now I’ll do a marathon “in Belize”, virtually. I just have to complete marathon on my own during a specific week in December – back to the trail I go!