Many thoughts, memories, and reflections about life come across my mind as I run the trails. I guess that's why I love to run. I think about writing about these thoughts but then I get home and say, "naw"
Well this time I'll write about some of the thoughts crossing my mind on today's run. I was asked by a co-worker today. "what's next for you?" I knew he meant my next run/race. I am registered for the North Fork 50 miler in Pine, Co. on June 30th, I said. I told him how I have always wanted to run an event in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Ever since I read the novel "When the Legends die" as a teenager I've longed for a Rocky mountain adventure. I imagined myself as the young UTE boy who retreats to the Colorado Rockies and survives on his own. I was captivated by the images of the mountains, valleys, and streams painted by the author, Hal Borland. I've run 50k's in the mountains of California, Northern New Mexico, and paced at Leadville. But I've not run in the Rockies in a race of my own.  There were other exciting events that presented opportunities for me to support and run with friends in the mountains. Dates and other factors did not make this possible. So the North Fork 50 it is.
My co-worker also asked if it gets harder for me when I run these ultra events. I don't like to think of them as hard. I like to think of these runs as new adventures. There will be times of aches and pains but I don't dwell on that. I like to think about the place I go when I run in the woods. What I'll see. What I'll feel. What demons I'll slay. I told him that conventional wisdom tells us that running such long distances is not so good for the body. That most of us who do so do it for other reasons.
In a very recent post on Endurancebuzz.com,  Race Director, Ultra runner, and my good friend Joe Prusaitis writes about the physical and mental aspects of ultra running, in the piece he states " As much as I prefer to live on the sunny side, the dark side has some strong energy as well. But, do you really want to go there?"
Right now I want to go there. I feel the  NEED to go there.  I want to go there and kick the C&@p out of many things and feelings weighing on mind. I know they'll fight back but on the trail I can fight them, kick them around, take my licks, cry if I want to and leave it all there in the dirt.