A list about Umstead. Number 7 will amaze and shock you!
- I haven’t written a post for ages. Ooops. I blame that on the fact that I don’t spend anywhere near as much time on planes as I used to. I am on a plane now.
- Umstead was my first ultramarathon, April 5th 2009. 50 miles.
- 5 years later (to the day), it will be my 6th Umstead, my 50th ultra and my 70th of 26.2 or above. I didn’t plan it that way, worked out well though.
- My record at Umstead is mixed, some successes, some failures as follows:
- 2009 – went for 50. Got 50
- 2010 – went for 100. Got 100.
- 2011 – went for 100. Got a cold, and got 50
- 2012 – went for 100. Got 62.5, a 50 mile PR and strained Achilles
- 2013 – went for 50. Got 50. But slower than I needed to get Western States qualifier.
- I have been suffering with plantar fasciitis for the last 6 weeks or so. It sucks. I have averaged just about 2 miles a week since then and a daily 1 mile walk with the dogs. I am showing up this time well and truly undertrained. I am going to see how far stubbornness, and the company of good friends at the back will get me. And math. My walks with the dogs take 17 minutes. Do that 99 more times and I will finish under 29 hours.
- Some of the best people I have ever met will be running, volunteering or just hanging out at Umstead. I didn’t know any of them that day in April 2009 – by the end of that day, I had met many new friends, and learned about the Mangum Track Club. That day changed my life. Thank you Umstead.
- Really? WTF? LOL!! CLICK BAIT. You fell for it! LOL. (Yeah – I know, I keep falling for it too, it’s getting old isn’t it?)
- If I finish, I will have 32 tickets in the draw for Western States, giving me an 80% chance of being selected for WS in June 2015
- There are still 3 rocks under the tree at the top of Effing Hill (I think), there were 8, I put them there before the race in 2012 – I collected one after each of my 5 loops that year. I still have them, and look forward to collecting the remaining 3 after laps 6, 7 and 8 and bringing them home.
- Toe Break Ridge, Pee Tree and Two Mile Tree are three places that I named in Umstead State Park, and they never stuck, and I am the only person who probably remembers where those places are. If you run with me, I will point them out to you. And then test you in subsequent years.
- Almost every year, as soon as I pass the “1 mile” marker, I overhear someone who says “Ha ha, only 99 more to go. HA HA!”. Yeah, ha fucking ha. It wasn’t funny the first time.
- Umstead is an amazing race, I am looking forward to #6, and regardless of how it ends, I am excited to be back and look forward to catching up with some awesome people.
- Cheers!
bahahaha so agreed! if i wanted the mileage counted or shouted out for me, i would run a marathon. last year i told this guy I was running a loop with that under no circumstance did i want to know the mileage or our pace and that why i had no garmin and no watch. what do you think this joker did the entire loop? haha you can imagine my chagrin when he said he could not stay with me as i was going faster than his plan :)
ReplyDeleteHey Jimbo,
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing you at the park for the weekend. I feel that 2015 will be your year for Western States. Getting to share that last mile with you in Auburn was great (even though the video didn't come out) I think somebody said Franky was coming to race too. I hope you get to pick up those 3 remaining rocks on Sunday morning. Cheers Buddy!!!! JA
Hey, I ran Umstead too! Fantastic race! It also means I will have one, and only one, ticket for Western States. I think your odds beat out mine - you certainly deserve to get in more than I do. I'll still have my hat in the ring, however. I need to so I'll start collecting tickets year over year. :-)
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