PUMPKIN HOLLER INVITATIONAL

Last month while I was driving around delivering water, generators, Pizza, Gatorade, and checking on runners, I was secretly pouting. Everyone was running on what might be the most scenic 100 miler at least in the central states, and I couldn't run!!!!! That, coupled with the comments on how hilly, mountainous, brutal the course was, made me want to run it all the more. At times, after hearing the accusations that we grossly misdescribed the course, and me maintaining that is really wasn't all that bad, the challenge was issued. "I" was to run the course--the full Monty--the whole hunnerd miles and my crew babe would do her thing. To make it FAIR, she would ONLY crew me at the locations where the aid stations were giving me no advantage that the runners did not have.That is how the PUMPKIN HOLLER INVITATIONAL came into existence. It seems that I was not the only one watching everyone trudge in across the finish line while secretly coveting the awarded belt buckles. So my self-induced challenge became an event. This weekend, a few super-achievers will toe the same line as the October 15th inaugural race, and run 101.6 miles with the out-and-backs, hills, rocks, and mean dogs.

THE PLAYERS:
Yours truly--one Trail Zombie. Finish within the time limit and with a smile, I'll feel like I was right. The course is easy-to-medium. Crash and burn, and I'll eat crow.

Stormy and Caroline will join me as runners. Stormy will ace his second 100, and Caroline will notch her first finish after a few great efforts fallen short.

All is well with the world, with my crew babe at the helm. Dana will be even more wiped out than we are, going 30+ hours with almost no sleep.

Dana won't be the only crew babe. Brynna will be teaming up with Dana taking care of us grouchy runners.

Tim, a first-time 100 wannabe, is gonna tuck in with us and do what we do and after a day or so, will have ran 100 miles.

You could not possibly think we could do something crazy like this without Kathy being along. Kathy has ten belt buckles to her credit, and I have nine. Possibly I can even the score?? Kathy will run some, pace some, crew some, taunt us, take pictures, and cheer us on.

Charlotte hopes to get another 100 in. I look forward to running with her as we run about the same pace, and she is chatty.

And finally, the only player I hope is a DNS as the mad dog who resides at mile 5 in the loop. Let's hope he is cool this time.

As our cell phones allow, we'll do Facebook updates, and of course, there'll be a big report here.
Posted by T Z at 10:55 PM 2 comments: