Pre-Race Jitters

Thick like the beet juice that turns my morning toilet water a deep crimson.

The light flips red and I ease down on the brake, lean back and close my eyes. In that short moment images of the trail flood my mind. Not wanting to drift too far, I snap my eyes back open and reorient to the sounds of the city, the din of progress. But all I want to be is running.

Race day can’t come soon enough.

The anticipation is palpable. I can feel it coursing through my veins, thick like the beet juice that turns my morning toilet water a deep crimson. The fleeting vignettes that attack me throughout the day are a welcome torture, foreshadowing the glorious suffering of the upcoming race.

In my daily downtime I let myself wander, visualizing the course. I’ve run it only once, but so visceral was the experience — both good and bad, I can vividly recall each twist and turn. But life is like that, profound moments etch deep lines into your memory.

I replay my mistakes, where I went too hard or didn’t give enough. Where I left aid stations too quickly, or lingered too long. I think back to fearing the patches of sunny trail where morning warmth sapped my strength. I remember the eternal walk up that last grueling hill to the finish. I’ve never wanted to give up so badly, so close to the end.

This year the Way Too Cool 50k is about retribution. I was satisfied with my time last year, but I got there in the worst possible way. I fell apart and the last 10 miles were miserable, a world away from that sweet suffering we runners come to crave.

So this year is all about fun. I’m in better shape, but more than anything I’ve learned how to run these long races. How to pace yourself for a five-hour, 30 mile journey into yourself.

The key is to go out there and have fun. Because if you can you manage to be having fun at mile 25, where the trail turns up and the precipitous incline of Goat Hill stares you in the face, the good times will follow.