RACE REPORT: Medoc Rerun

Submitted by: Ursula Forrester

My personal rave run. . . Today I ran at Medoc. At first this morning, I didn't think I would run today. I just didn't feel well. But after Henry was up, we decided to head there and I would at least walk/run the shorter loop (Bluff trail) with Henry. Today was the day of the big "Medoc Re-Run" race for all of us who volunteered or couldn't make it to the actual event in Oct. The majority of people doing the re-run got there around 8 AM. Leading up to this day it looked like there could be as many as 30+ people out there running today but as is often the case, things come up, people are injured, etc. and the total number of runners dwindled. It is a holiday weekend after all. Regardless, there were probably still between 15 and 20. I didn't see everyone so I don't really know.

Henry and I didn't get there until close to 9:30 but that's okay. We headed out on the trail after I took a couple minutes to do some stretching (as I usually do, almost as a ritual, before exercise). Henry was wearing his Lightning McQueen toboggan and some mismatched gloves; Spiderman on one hand, Lightning McQueen on the other. As long as they keep the hands warm, that's all that matters. I broke out my running tights for the first time this year, was wearing my running headband (to cover my ears) and my red/white striped gloves.

I went ahead and set my watch so I would know how long we were out there, but no one was concerned with how fast we were going, or not going. Henry and I would walk some, then jog some, walk some, jog some. And of course, we would have to stop and pick up these perfect "walking sticks" that he spotted along the way. Once we were about a good mile into the trail, along comes the first runner from our group. Frank catches up with us and he is planning to run the full 26 miles today, instead of the 10 miles most people were planning to run. We keep up with him for awhile...sometimes ahead... sometimes behind... sometimes together. Henry thought it was big fun to get ahead of him. I guess it was nice for "little Hank" to have a little motivation, besides the recurring encouragement from mommy: "Come on Henry!" "You're doing great Henry, let's keep moving." "Let's do a little running Henry!"

Another 5 minutes and I hear voices coming up behind me. I knew there were some other runners from the group not too far behind Frank, because he told us they would catch us soon. He was right. I just didn't realize there would be a whole "conga line" of runners coming through. It was impressive. About 10 guys one right behind another moving swiftly along the path. I'm amazed at how fast some guys can run the trails. When the guys caught up, Henry just took off ahead on the trail. He was "leading" these fast guys for the next quarter mile or so. After a couple minutes, all of them were out of my sight and I was moving along, running at a decent pace. I guess Henry wanted to challenge himself? Or maybe it's his male ego (pride?) showing through at a young age. But he was really moving running along on the trail.

It was another 10 minutes before I caught him and I was going quick because I didn't want him on the trail by himself (because I figured eventually he would drop back behind the big group). I was right. We kept moving but I could tell Henry was starting to get tired. We did more walking than running to get back to the car. But he did it! Henry finished 3 miles on the trails and was awarded an honorary medal for his accomplishment.

So, now was the time of decision. I had planned to run 10 miles today so I could earn my Medoc 10-miler medal and shirt. Soooo....that's what I did. I left Henry with Michael, stopped at the restroom momentarily, picked up a water bottle and trucked back out onto the trails. This time I headed in the opposite direction. I was feeling pretty good and the weather was absolutely perfect for running. So, the decision to continue and finish what I started was easy.

It really was a great day to be there running. Most of the leaves had fallen. So, the trails were covered with leaves. I was afraid this might make it dangerous. And I guess to some degree it did. But, it wasn't bad. Either way, running or walking the trails requires paying careful attention to every step and every foot placement. I tried hard to balance watching the trail and admiring the scenery. There were actually points when I stopped just to look around and take in the surroundings. Often during a race, you wouldn't necessarily do that, but I was in no rush. And strangely enough, I didn't even have my camera with me. It was in the car. Oh well! And there were a few times the trail split off and I had to stop and try to remember which way the "course" goes. Lucky for me, I made good directional decisions. My sense of direction is "usually" pretty good. It worked for me today.

When I headed out on the Discovery and Summit trails, I continued along the trail for almost an hour before I ever encountered another person. It was like I was out there by myself. So secluded. Just me and my thoughts. I could hear the shuffle of my feet rustling through the leaves. It was a constant sound of leaves crunching beneath me. And there was the occasional misstep when one of my ankles would turn one way or the other because I landed on the side of a rock or root. It happened enough that I lost count. Or I would trip up some. Enough to scare me but not injure me. I feel fortunate. I got through the course again today without falling. The cool air was brisk. There was no breeze that I recall. The sun was shining the whole time. There were rays of sunshine falling through the treetops onto the trail. It was a beautiful day to be out there.

Just before I exited the trails, I ran into Scott and Ron who were running the marathon. They were on about mile 18. And they looked really good. All I could think is "more power to you." I think doing just the 10 miles is pretty tough, mainly because the trails make it harder. I have a great appreciation for the stamina and mental toughness it must take to complete the Medoc marathon. I had to finish the 10-miler by running the last (almost) 2 miles on the roads leading into the park (running out to the turnaround point and back). I ran the course out of order but finished all of the pieces. It wasn't maybe a fantastic way to finish but felt good to be on solid pavement after navigating the challenging trails. Plus, one of the last songs to come up on my Playlist was "Believe" from The Polar Express. Great song for the finishing stretch. I'm tired now but feeling pretty good. I ran (and walked/hiked) 10 miles today! And I earned my Medoc medal! And I did most of it out there all by myself which was GREAT. And the rest was with my little buddy. GREAT DAY!

Michael's Note: Congrats to Frank, Ron, and Scott for completing the marathon. I still have shirts for everyone in the list below who requested one. We still have hats too. To buy the hat, you must complete the run at some point. . . we are using the honor system!

Lost and Found: Found: one sweaty black Under Armor shirt, one sweaty black Asics Long sleeve "Eagles" Shirt, one sweaty grey Medoc cap. Lost: one Amphipod bottle (Ron), one small water bottle belt (Jeff)