Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Here is an e-mail I wrote JT Rissman and Paul Pena, two of my fiends who are going to run the Warrior Dash with me on Septerber 17th.

Warriors

I have named the hills at Ravine. It helps me. When I start "Initiator" I talk with him, I say "Hello Initiator, you look good today." I don't know why, but it is easier for me to tackle a hill that I know by name.

Today I did the first part of my run without my shoes. It means I go slower but it also means that my focus switches to my feet and where I am going to step instead of on my body and how tired I feel.

After about 15 minutes, the trail becomes asphalt and I put my shoes back on. The path becomes all downhill and I have to really concentrate to keep my mind from wandering. Near the end of the path there is a trail that leads up a hill that I have named "Oh, My, God, No!” After the first few steps I begin to realize how steep it is and I say "Oh". When I get to what looks like the top, it curves and continues up and I say "Oh, My". With my lungs burning the next curve reveals even more climbing and I scream "Oh my God!". After reaching what feels like the top there is still more hill and that is where the "NO!!!" comes from. "Oh, My, God, No!" is on my mind before I reach it, usually several minutes before I reach it. I play mental games about should I or shouldn't I run it. I usually don't.

Today I did. At the top, out of breath, I decided to extend my run by turning left instead of right. I found two more hills that I named "Bitch Slap" because it came so quickly after "Oh, My, God, No!" and finally "TKO" as I was KO'ed after I got to the top.

I had an interesting sensation about half way up "TKO", I started to feel happy. I thought about how if felt having mud between my toes, how it felt gliding downhill, how I was going to kick you sorry asses on the 17th!!!