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Showing posts from May, 2012

Sehgahunda Trail Marathon

I have been hearing for quite a while now about how tough Sehgahunda is.  I’ve heard it’s “tougher than Ironman” and “intense from start to finish”.  I did not diminish these comments and prepared for an intense day.  I’d heard of its intensity from too many people to dismiss these comments, but I’d also made the incorrect assumption that my previous tough trail races would give me an edge.  What I should have done is looked at the damn elevation chart. I didn’t do that until the ride to the start with Lisa, Gary and Dan.  I assumed the race logo with the scribbled-in line was decorative.  They sort of laughed and informed me that that was the in fact the elevation chart for the course.   All the website stated was,             “ Your meander through the wooded single-track along the rim will be punctuated by a seemingly interminable series of gullies, each entailing a rapid descent and a climb again to the rim. Many small stream crossings and ever-present roots will keep you o

North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run

The night before my first marathon, my friend/neighbor/mentor came by to wish me luck (with an Aero bar, God bless him).  Before he left, he said the number “19”.  To abate my confusion, he explained that he likes to dedicate miles to friends, family members even non-friends.  Giving dedicated time to one person for a full mile is a wonderful distraction.  He claimed 19 as his number.  I’ve kept this technique ever since, and I find it invaluable.  BTW, guess which mile Dave was waiting for me at? During my drive to Cleveland, I finalized whom I planned to dedicate miles to, although sometimes people just jump into my head and are dedicated by default.  Keeping people in my thoughts who have touched my life has gotten me to push further than I believed possible.  Moreover, I planned to dedicate my race to a special friend and her husband.  If they can get through their trials, I was going to draw strength from this family whose sense of normal changed in an instant.  I wore my Li