The golden leaves in the afternoon light made for a spectacular setting on the Black Forest Trail.
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to this week’s edition of Running Reads & Other Intriguing Things. I hope you were able to get outdoors at some point this weekend and enjoy the beauty around you, whether walking in your neighborhood or running on remote trails in the woods.
I was fortunate to run the 42+ mile Black Forest Trail this past weekend on a day that turned out to be spectacularly beautiful, from the early morning fog to the late afternoon light, to the stunning sunset. With my wife supporting me at a number of locations along the route, I finished the trail loop in just under 15 hours.
While my goal was to keep moving forward as steadily as I could throughout the day, I also wanted to make sure I took time to soak up the scenery. I had been on portions of the trail during training runs and during the Eastern States 100 last summer, but the majority of the trail was new to me. While I had company for most of my Horse-Shoe Trail effort in July, this was going to be a solo adventure.
I started out of Slate Run, with a long climb rewarded by a number of pretty views in the early morning. Along the route, I saw a number of hikers and campsites set up, as most people complete the loop over several days. My spirits remained high as the miles accumulated, despite the challenging climbs and technical descents. My legs felt strong and my stomach gave me zero trouble, unlike my hours of nausea on the Horse-Shoe Trail.
With about 10 miles to go, sunset was fast approaching. I met Pam around mile 32 after nearly missing her due to some navigational challenges. Sunset came shortly thereafter, and I wouldn’t see her again until mile 38. While the sunset was beautiful and I stopped for several photos, suddenly the woods got very dark, very quickly.
On the vast majority of the Black Forest Trail, there is no cell service. And this wasn’t a race, with aid stations ahead or a sweeper behind, or other runners along the route. The woods were big and dark and I started to feel terrified as I had to navigate a rocky descent in the dark with faded trail markers on scattered trees.
Despite a new headlamp battery, I was paranoid it would go out before I got to Pam. But no matter how much I felt like panicking, the only way out was to keep moving forward. There was no alternate option, though I did spend quite a bit of time thinking that I might just end the run at mile 38. This was supposed to be fun, right?
But if you have ever DNFed a race and then questioned your decision, you know how terrible that feels, and how much regret ensues. I made that mistake at World’s End 100k last year and I didn’t want to repeat it. So I kept moving, and finally saw Pam’s car in the dark waiting for me.
With some more calories and warm clothes, I was in a better headspace. I determined that while there were some understandably risky and scary things about being on the trail solo in the dark, the scariest thing for my brain at that moment was having my headlamp die. So I got a fresh battery and put a second one in my pack, even though I only had about 5 miles to go.
Once I figured out the fear I could manage - and addressed it - I was able to put the other stuff (like no cell service, wild critters, or men with machetes) temporarily behind me. Fear can be a tough thing to manage as it can be both rational and irrational, but if you can take the time to confront what is scaring you the most, you can tame some of the wild beasts in your head more easily.
“Three beeps to the road” was my mantra - once my Garmin ticked off 3 more miles, I would be headed down Slate Run Road to the finish. But what a crazy final mile in the woods it was, with nearly 1000 feet of descent covered by rocks and slippery leaves. I was cursing and laughing all at once, but no longer panicked. At the third beep, I made it to the gravel road and ran down to the parking lot. And then it was all over. My adventure had a little bit of everything- beauty and fear - and it was all worthwhile.
Thanks for making your way through a longer read this week! For some other intriguing articles, you might enjoy the following:
Courtney Dauwalter comes back from health issues on her Colorado Trail FKT attempt to win Big’s Backyard Ultra 2020.
Lauren Fleshman, always inspiring as a runner and a human being, takes a new approach to coaching elite female athletes.
And finally, some unexpected assistance helps a woman struggling in a marathon get across the finish line in Utah.
Take care, get outside however you can, and happy running!
Christine