The first 20 mile run that I essayed, on 14 September 2002, was memorable for several reasons besides mere length and my survival:

• Starting at 6am this time of year introduced a bit of excitement to the first couple of miles, since it was too dark to see much of the trail. (Fortunately the ground was familiar and no new obstacles materialized before dawn.)
• Approaching mile 3, as the light improved, what should I spy but a dollar bill on the asphalt! I stopped, snagged it, and scouted quickly around the area, turning up three more. They were rather dew-damp from spending the night on the ground. But after a few hours in my sweat-soaked wrist-pack they were a lot wetter; I put them in the oven to dry. (If you're the one who lost them please let me know and I'll return them to you.)
• About mile 4 the eastern sky glowed electric-luminous with a red dawn, presaging showers the next day. (Sailor take warning ....)
• Just past mile 9 there stood a faun by the side of the path, striving to be invisible. (It gave up when I was about five feet from it and bolted into the woods.)

But much more significant than any of the above: during the homeward journey near mile 13 an angel joined me, in the person of an elderly but fast-moving gentleman named Dennis W. He lifted my spirits immensely by chatting about his various calf and knee problems, his racing experiences, and a unique athletic competition that he held via email with his brother and sister every summer.

Dennis described the scoring system he designed for his family: each 1/8th of a mile covered is worth 1 point if bicycling, 4 if running, and 9 if swimming. On top of that, he introduced distribution bonuses: doing an Olympic triathalon within a week gets you 100 extra points, and finishing an Ironman triathalon during the week is worth 1000.

DW set a brisk pace as we talked; I was surprised when I checked my watch to discover that we had run my fifteenth mile in only 10 minutes. (My average rate for the entire trip was ~11 minutes/mile.) At the next trail marker he turned around and bid me adieu. I slowed down and made it home in relative comfort. Thanks, Dennis!

TopicRunning - TopicPersonalHistory - 2002-09-15

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