misery run 2011

I have not posted in some time mainly because my race reports have been going to the running group newsletter. This particular report did not.

Godiva’s Misery Run 2011

Some like it rainy, cold, and sloppy. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t. Sunday November 13rh in Carrboro was sunny and just a bit cool. Nonetheless, I came prepared for the muck in long fast-dry pants, with snug cuffs also secured by rubber bands, long sleeve tech shirt, and green latex gloves. Bring it on! This event takes place at a home for Angus cattle. Dogs and people milled around. The resident three year old pointy eared female dog anxiously searched for a pal to play with while arrivals registered. At 2 p.m., off the runners went, across the field to the first obstacle: a hay roll. Running jumps were aided by bales in front of the roll, as well as bales on the other side for the landing... What a sight! People crawled all over the roll, legs and arms scrabbling for a hold. Let the fast ones battle it out. I waited and got over it on my second try. There were two of these hay rolls on the course, each to be conquered three times. If you were 60 and older you could bypass the hay and keep on going. Not me – this was the most fun part of the event.

After the hay roll, we followed a path to a field and along its perimeter into the cross country section. More fun. We were to keep right of the orange flags placed along the course. The path not having been cleared, we were forewarned that what was beneath was uinknown. The large fallen trees were easy to see and jump or step over. There were some rocks and a few roots, but nothing like Umstead single track trails. The leafy path was mostly clear. The course meandered through the woods giving us a scenic view if one dared to look away from a forward scan. There were little gullies to jump over, short up and down inclines, and, of course, the thick and thin tree debris. Maybe ¾ of the way through the 1.9 mile or so loop we came to another delight: the wider than a jumper’s leg span mud pond filled with who knows what and under constant water replenishment. You were going to get wet. An ankle deep splat, two or three steps, then up the opposite muddy slope onto the grassy path and onward to another hay roll. Joy! A trot along the perimeter of the field again and back to the first hay roll.

And so it went. At the end of the last go around, we had the bonus feature. Besides cows and hay, what else does a cattle farm have an abundance of? Bypassing the hay roll, we veered to the left, went down a sharp incline into some dried manure then took a bend to the left around a building. We faced a steep mound of wet cow manure. This was a climb (no touching of orange markers allowed) into the very best the Angus had to offer. For slower runners, being last has an advantage. Some of the mound has been packed down by those before you; and you can see deep imprints. I chose a fairly solid ridge and took that route to quickly exit the brown heaps.

Afterwards, first the hand sanitizer then queue up to wash off your legs, feet, and shoes. I’d already removed my pants (shorts beneath) socks (required an overnight soak in 60% bleach and machine wash) and shoes. The pants went into my garbage bag, the socks and shoes got a rinse before being dumped into the bag. A quick rinse of ankles. One apple and Misery was done-after not being so miserable.

Post script: I was fine that day but the next day or so and for a month afterwards, my right hamstring leading into the gluteus hurt. No doubt from extension while trying to conquer the hay rolls.