25K Chubb Trail Run
I'm somewhere in the back of the pack in the picture to the right. It's the start of last Saturday's Chubb Trail Endurance Run, the most 
gruelling course I've ever run. Some people are running the 50K and others are running the 25K. My starting goal was to complete the 25K in 3:00:00, but at mile 12 or so I realized that wouldn't be possible, so my next goal was to finish ahead of the first 50K runner. An attainable goal, you say, but one I barely met, finishing 25K a mere 17 minutes before the winner of the 50K.
The Chubb Trail. Gruelling. A steep, mile downhill toward the Meramec River. Flat river bottom for three miles. Ridges for three miles. A short flat stretch. A mile ascent/descent. And finally heading back through the ridges, across the river bottom, and up the last mile to the finish line.
If I continue these trail runs I need to run on trails. Up to now, my trail running has been limited to races. I would do better, have more endurance, if I ran trails more frequently. Last Saturday, on several occasions, while running up the ridges, I had to stop and bend over to recover before ascending further.
Nonetheless, I'm thinking that next year I'll run the 50K. That would be considered an ultra run, and finishers of ultra runs receive nifty belt buckles.
I am so impressed by this running stuff. Personally, I hate running, unless I have a running mate. In 1989, when I ran my one and only marathon and half-marathon, I trained four or five days a week with Don Blair, an Aussie from Perth. Those were great days. Don and I learned a lot about each other. Two days a week we'd run long distance--half marathon or longer. On our favorite route there was a hill about 3/4 of the way through. It was a half mile long and straight up. I dubbed it Boot Hill. The dead were buried at the top. My goal that summer was to crest the hill and keep going with power. I recall the run during which I achieved that goal. It was wonderful.
That year, Don ran six or seven marathons. When not running, he worked out in a gym at lunchtime, spin cycling. I've never seen such dedication or drive. He actually had to buy an entire wardrode because he lost so much weight that summer.
I also met a guy that summer who claimed to have run 50 marathons in the last year. A marathon a week? He was about 60. And thin as a rail.
About that one and only marathon: I finished it in 3:45.00. Good for me. But I don't have your stamina or stick-to-it-ive-ness. Congratulations!