Getting Hooked…

Several months ago, my wife wanted to watch a movie.  There was a documentary on an adventure marathon (I think that is what they are called), or ultramarathon that she has wanted me to see for some time.  It is called “The Barkley Marathon:  The Race that Eats its Young.”  Yeah, I have never been much into running.  I never have been a runner.  I truly have always hated it.  It is not fun to me and was always used as a punishment when I was in sports.  I never really understood why people would choose a punishment as a sport.  But hey, if she wants me to watch it, I will do my best to make her happy and play along.

She turned it on and got it going.  About ten minutes in and I was mesmerized.  I was sitting on the edge of my seat.  It amazed me all the small details that were put out about this race, the small entry fees and no amount to win.  Why would these racers (with only 10 people to finish in the last several years) put their bodies through such a grueling and body battering race in order for just bragging rights?  It made ono sense, but at the same time, I became overwhelmingly interested and instantly hooked.  I didn’t understand, but I wanted to.  I wanted to know more.

I ordered a book on audible and started listening.  Michael Panhuysen read the story to me “In the Spell of the Barkley – Unravelling the Mystery of the Worlds Toughest Ultramarathon.”  I told my wife about it, and now she wants to read it.  We want to know more.  We want to learn.  We want to figure out the why.

A few weeks after watching the race eating it’s young, another documentary that caught my attention one day while flipping through YouTube.  Tayson Whittaker, one of my favorites to follow, is a guy who started one of my favorite backpacking brands, Outdoor Vitals.  I have several pieces of their clothing and gear and love it all.  He posted a video called “The Dumbest Thing I’ve Ever Done.”  Now this could be the title to the story of my life, so that caught my attention.  Yet the video was about him entering the Bryce Canyon 100, a 100-mile adventure trail race.  The catch was that he only had 3 weeks to train.  What in the world?  Now I know he is in shape.  This guy does massive mile hikes constantly and works out like a machine.  Yet, that is a place that very few people in the world have decided to push their bodies.  A 100-mile trail race is no joke.  It is the real deal.

What is the draw for these people to do this?  Are they all there?  Have they lost their ever-lovin’ minds (as my Granny would say)?  I don’t know, but there has to be something to it.  I want to know more. I have to get closer and see what this is all about.

The first of October, I decided to do just that.  The Arkansas Traveler 100 was coming up and it is so close to my house.  A 100-mile foot race through the Ouachita National Forest is exactly what I need to experience to figure this out a little more.  I looked it up on the website and saw they needed volunteers.  They needed people to work parking and aid stations.  You get a free t-shirt.  We have that day free.  I texted my wife and asked her if we could do it.  She was ecstatic and excited.  Yes!  We are in!

We showed up at that morning early to our station and met a few of the volunteers.  We helped put a tent together for shade for the runners.  We sat out tarps and placed runner drop bags in order of race number and name.  We got refreshments ready.  We made our way to the bottom of the hill, parked the FJ, out came the awning for shade and got ready for the crowd of crews that were about to start arriving for their runners.  We were ready.  Cars started showing up and we parked them.  Around 10 a.m. the first runner came by.  He was flying!  Turns out he would set the new course/race record (the FKT).  More runners came by and we cheered them on.  By the time they got to us they had already ran a marathon as we were sitting at the 32-mile mark.  Runners started coming by.  People were cheering.  Some looked very weary and some looked strong, but they all kept going.  They only had 30 hours to complete the race. If they could not make the 30 hour mark, they would receive a DNF (did not finish).  Nobody wanted that.  They were giving it their all.  They wanted to finish.  I wanted then to finish.  They were beasts in my book.

I came home that day exhausted.  We volunteered for 6 hours parking cars and cheering on runners.  It was so hot for October in Arkansas.  When I got home, showered and collapsed on the couch, I sat there and thought that the fastest runner still had at least 6 hours before he would finish.  The others had another 12-15 hours of solid running and giving it everything they had until there was nothing left.  I wanted what they had.  I want that drive, that endurance, that no quit mentality.  I want that.  I was HOOKED!

I started looking into it.  I want to run.  But wait, I am not a runner.  I can start to run. I read so many stories on social media of different people who did not even start running until they were over 50.  Apparently, it is not uncommon.  I am in the best shape of my life.  I can do this.  I can do this.  I am the little engine that could.  I think I can, I think I can.  I know I can.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t.  You got this.

Here we go.