The Background
I was burnt out by the time I finished the TROT Spring/Summer Virtuals. Finishing 1st place on the leaderboard was a triumph but came at the cost of weeks of heavy running and mental fatigue.
I took 2 months off. I had been signed up for the Cyclops in Flip Flops and Leaping Luchador 50ks, but I skipped them. The time off was good, as work resumed with the chaos of going back to school amid a pandemic.
I tried just to do the next right thing and work seemed to be going okay. Having signed up for the Release the Kraken 50k, which had to be run on October 3rd, I thought this was a good time to start up again.
I managed a 2 mile run, a 2 mile run, and a 3 mile run before the race. So this would basically be off the couch.
The race had to be run on trails, so I picked the WG Jones State Forest. I knew there were wide trails there which would help with social distancing.
I used my car as an aid station with a cooler of Gatorade and skittles, getting started at 7am.
The Race
I felt good for the first 10 miles or so. I took a walk break then ran again to 14.
By this time, my legs were hurting. I'd hike the rest of it.
I was able to find a good 4 mile loop. I hit a minor low point from maybe 17-22, but when I found I had two loops left I started to feel okay again. Trying to use some of the spiritual approaches I've learned, I tried to do the next right thing and be at peace. I did feel more at peace in those final miles than most other races.
The time and the miles passed then I was done.
Reflections
It felt good to be racing again. I liked the feeling of peace at the end of the race. It wasn't easy by any means, but I'd like to replicate that feeling of acceptance for other races if I could.
Well, now to decide what to run next...
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