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Showing posts from January, 2013

The Beast for Uncle Bert

This race is dedicated to my Uncle Bert.  He physically left us last year, but heaven has been thoroughly enjoying having him around.   He freely and often passed through my mind during this race.  I felt as if I had a guardian.  Uncle Bert, this one was for you. The Beast.  Four years ago, Roger talked me into running this crazy race.  All I had to do was run 50 miles during a blizzard.  OMG!  I was hooked.  I loved the people.  The camaraderie.  The challenge. I’ve taken on the Beast several times, and thought it would be my first 100 miler.  The Beast thought differently.  It took me out with a case of kidney stones and a broken spirit.  That probably explains why I was a basket case at the start.  I knew what was in front of me and I didn’t believe that I could do it.  That morning I looked on the website and found my projected finish time.  34 hours.  34 hours????  The race cut-off is 30 hours.  I’m screwed.  I got a text that saved me.  It said in part

Facing the Beast

       They say that 85% of what you worry about doesn't happen anyway.  So, I am not going to worry about the Beast of Burden 100 that will happen this Saturday.  I'm not going to worry, but I'm going to plan for multiple, possible, scenarios, that may or may not happen.  Semantics are everything.      I don't fear the distance.  The miles don't scare me.  I know how to suffer; how to over come adversity; how to adapt.  What is keeping me up at night (besides images of that crazy chicken silo) is the weather.      Temps are predicted to be freakin' cold.  I'm seeing ranges in the teens and below.  There will be both new snow and several inches of accumulated snow.  Before you ask, no, no one clears the path.  And, it will be windy.  On that course, I know the wind can make or break my day.  There is just no way to get out of it's path.  At least there will be a full moon; unfortunately, that's when the Beast likes to really come out!      You may