Boggs 50k (sort of)

Back in April, when Yariv and I were finished with Skyline to Sea and walking back to our car with race winner Leor Pantilat, he seduced us with talk of a new trail race he was going to put on in October up at Boggs Mountain. Free camping, pine-covered trails, early fall weather. "You should come out," he said.

The new S2S course record holder who'd just ripped off 6.37 minute miles over 50k was extending a personal invitation our way. We were being acknowledged as real trail runners by a real trail runner. The inner circle. I am not ashamed to say we dorked out with giddiness.

And so we signed up not too long after that but somewhere along the way as other plans developed and dates became blurry the Boggs 50k fell the week after the Grand Canyon. A 31 mile recovery run?

There was no way I wasn't going. Yariv was already on board and scaling back to 25k after 2 ankle sprains. Rick would be there, Larissa and Brett, Victoria. And Scotty B had sprung back into view after an extended absence, signing up just the day before. I wanted to see my peeps and I wanted to be on the starting line for this inaugural Boggs race. I mean, I'd been invited personally after all. And there was camping to be done.

So Yariv and I set out on our usual road-trip itinerary that Friday, the most direct-ish route with stops for thrift stores along the way. Arriving at Boggs, the back of Yariv's car filled with our second-hand scores, we pitched camp quickly, picked up our reg stuff and settled in for a dinner of champions.

Race morning was cool and overcast, heavy with moisture in the air but no rains. We started up a gradual fireroad: me, Rick, Scott, and a few others settling into a slow and steady pace. (The only time I can run with Rick is during his slow start mode.) Soon enough we were lost having missed a right turn. Scott, a man of maps and directions and countless outdoor adventures, who'd fallen behind just a bit, made the right turn of course.

So we had to backtrack, costing us maybe 2 miles but it was early, the trails were quiet and soft, the mist clinging to the trees. It was serene. Singletrack covered in pine needles, weaving like a rollercoaster through the trees. 5-6 miles rolled along well enough. Seven. Then it started to feel harder. My feet felt heavy, my legs like they already had 15 miles on them. There was a long uphill fireroad somewhere around miles 7-9. At mile 12 I was thinking this would've been a good 10 mile recovery run. At mile 15 I was thinking I was lost, with no one in site ahead or behind. At mile 17 I was sure I was lost and started looking down at the path in search of treads pointing in my same direction. I stopped to consider my options. And just as I was approaching 18 the start/finish/halfway point came into view, along with Yariv who'd just finished his 25k loop, and I was done.

As I apologized to the timers that I had to drop, leaving them with a DNF on their results, I noticed a handful of other 50k'ers huddled around the campfire, DNFs themselves. My people. Already changed with beers in one hand, burritos in the other. The beauty of racing a shorter distance. Or dropping from a longer one.

I went in with the expectation to just do my best, the understanding that I'd probably only get through 25k, but with the distant hope that I had some superior gene and mega red blood cells that would see me through the whole shebang. Alas, I did not.

And while I knew I'd probably never make it to 50k, it still wasn't entirely pleasant to drop out halfway. Thank god. It's not something you'd ever want to get comfortable with, you know? 4 weels later and I'm finally starting to feel closer to 100% again. My long runs have all been shite - slow and groggy and flat footed. I'm hoping that by the time North Face 50k rolls around in December I'll shoot out of the starting line like a bat out of hell. Whatever that means. I do like Meatloaf.

Congrats to everyone who finished the 50k and to Larissa who took 1st AG and 3rd female overall. Rick buddy it was awesome to run a few miles with you and if I had to get lost, I'm glad it was following you. Scott, sorry we missed your finish - we waited as long as we could stand and it looks like you came in just as we were driving out. You're a stud. See you at NF!