The Hills Are Alive…..

A Leatherman’s Loop Race Report

[singlepic id=8924 w=200 h=140 float=left]4/23/2012
Mostly Cloudy and Cool around 50.
This is a special day in trail running where about 1200 runners will run The Loop around Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, New York. This is the largest trail running event around. I have run this coarse two times before in 2009 and 2010. I was very excited this year to be able to participate.
Saturday was a busy day at the store and my 9 hour shift went by fast. Plans after work were to get to New York City by 9 p.m. and hang with an old buddy and go out to a kind gourmet vegan dinner. Bimbler’s were to leave Branford at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, so I had to be home from the city by 3 a.m. to get a half hour power nap to be at work at 4 a.m. and get back home to let the dogs out and feed them and be on my way to Branford by 5:45. By now I am so tired I just want to see the back of my eyelids.
As daylight broke on Sunday morning my energy level picked up in anticipation of the race. I was able to make the rendezvous and grab a ride in the backseat with Diesel. We were there before the rush and got situated in the parking lot. The sun wants to shine but the clouds take over. We went for the pre-race survey of the final water crossing. The water levels are low but there is plenty of water to make a splash!
[singlepic id=8934 w=320 h=240 float=right]The old meadow oak is a reminder of years past and the new one planted this year will continue to grow into the future. The huge limbs of the old oak are lying in the meadow as they slowly return to the earth. There are some great photo opts here and I could not help but get inside the bowels of this old tree for a pose. Then I climbed on the limbs like a kid on a jungle gym. I love old trees.
I shared my strategy for the race with Mr. Wonderful. And he shared his view on “Mr. Natural”. He pretty much put a twist on my plan of attack by saying “to run from within” and “follow your heart”. I was blown away by his response and perspective on “running free” that it made me think twice on why I run? Why I race? Why I hang out with Bimbler’s? Why I hug trees? Why I love to run through rivers and mud and go uphill’s? It’s because I truly love all of this! Woohoo!

The pre-race ceremony for Caballo Blanco helps put closure to his death for me. The White Horse leading the runners out of the start was emotionally satisfying. His spirit will forever flow on the trail.
I had a great race this year and beat my last time by over 11 minutes. I held back and just went with the flow. The guy with the raccoon hat managed to stay my pace. “Like the King of the Wild Frontier.” I started singing the Davey Crocket song but he did not get it. The first water crossing was a crazy jump off the edge and cruise through water and scramble up the other side! I must have passed twenty people here according to the photo I saw on the Leatherman’s Loop face book page. Link to page here:
http://smu.gs/I6nldT?ref=nf
The second water crossing came up real quick and again I tried the crazy jump off the edge and into the river. Well I went into the river alright all the way under my head!! I tried standing up but completely fell backwards under the water again. (Double dunk)! I scrambled out of that situation as fast as I could not to embarrass myself anymore. People were really concerned about me but I told them I’d be alright. I am now totally soaked head to toe like being baptized. I come to a stop at the other side and give Thanks that I am O.K. And tied my shoelace and rung out my shirt as I continued to run again. It’s so cold now so I try pickin’ up the pace and plow through those mud flats and drip dry. I saw one shoe in the mud and no runner coming back for it then about 25 yards ahead is the other shoe but no runner!! That’s the way to surrender to the trail. Go barefoot! The Wall proves its steepness every time but the bagpiper sets the pace as you crest and recover back into the woods. From here it’s a constant tempo with some uphill. The pace really picks up as the trail meanders through the Pines and soon you pop out into the field and hear people cheering runners at the last water crossing that’s close to the finish. I have blown some energy at H2O X #1 and #2 and the pickup pace in the field was hard to find. I found it and could not slow down at the river. I did the crazy jump and splashed mud everywhere and ran my hardest through river and growled as I came out the other side and dug into that muddy embankment. Almost at the finish but that no oxygen feeling comes over me and I have to slow down across the field to the finish or I will throw up. I managed to get that under control pretty quick. And then I had that final sprint past that old oak tree to the finish. Woohoo!
I recharged after the finish and waddled back across the field to the water crossing to cheer folk’s on. To see Mr. Wonderful dance to the “Sound of Music” was a spectacular site. [singlepic id=8936 w=320 h=240 float=right] Iggy came in soon after him and had that smile of determination to the finish. One more Woohoo! And some dry clothes were soon a necessity. My teeth chattered across that field chasing Diesel one more time back to the car to change. I am starting to get tired so the warm coffee after the race was helpful. We stayed for a while to meet and greet friends and finishers. The award ceremony was very rewarding for the Bimbler’s. [singlepic id=8930 w=320 h=240 float=left]
Many thanks to my crew who drove me to the venue and help me stay awake. Huge kudos to all the finishers in our group. Special Thanks to Rob and the Harriers and all the volunteers that help make this a special event. Sudssie.