OWL-DRAGON

Half Wit Half Marathon

As my friend Nick Price said when I asked him if he was doing this race again, “You would be a half wit to do that race twice.” The Japanese have a similar proverb anout climbing Mt. Fuji – You are a fool to never climb Mt. Fuji and a bigger fool to climb it twice.” Of course I did climb it twice. And I did the Half Wit for a second year in row.

Last year was very hot and humid and my time was awfully slow. It was the only time I have ever sat down in a race and I think I was very close to heat exhaustion.

This year was still hot and humid but about 10 degrees cooler. It had been stormy yesterday and thru the night. The morning was overcast but cleared as I headed west and north. Glad of no rain because several parts of the course seem to be stream beds, however, it was less muddy then I expected with really only two areas of shoe sucking mud. There were a lot of trees down though and by the end I was looking to go around rather then over.

About 11 miles into the run I was with a small group. One women asked what mile are we at and are we still on the right path. I had to laugh because I had asked the same question about the same place last year. She couldn’t believe her time and said it was the hardest race she had ever run much harder then a marathon. There was a chorus of agreement. Ditto for me. The good news was we were very close to the finish; the bad news is two of the steepest hills were just before us.

Because of the problems I experienced last year I ran this race very conservatively. I stopped at each water stop and made sure I got plenty of water. I used Succeed and they certainly helped – no cramping like last year (although I wish I had taken one more succeed with me as I felt on the verge of a cramp in the last mile.) Still I finished strong and comfortably.

The race director says he measures this course with a survey wheel – I wonder how he does it I can’t imagine the wheel even turning over most of this course. The trail is all rock, downhills that are vertical drops, and the infamous 120 steps from hell. At the six mile mark there is a serious of granite blocks (like the material used for curbs in some areas) laid into a hillside. The bottom blocks are askewed and jumbled and you need to climb under a tree to get to the upper portin. Here the blocks do seem like steps but with very steep risers. These “steps” are a myserty . Why are they there - they don’t seem to connect anything – when were they built and why were they abandoned?

If you looked at the application you know the race director has a devilish, sarcastic sense of humor.e He puts burma shave signs out on the course. My favorite this year was his proposed ESPN show – Runners Eye For The Sloth Guy. One suggestion to the sloth – you belt goes around your stomach not under it.

One other experience before I close out – when I picked up my number I got the number for Charles Brooks III. I wanted to meet number 32 my namesake but despite looking for him at the beginning and end I never did see him. Maybe another race.