The running scene

I fancy myself to be a runner.  Back home in Canada I run three times a week with an awesome friend (miss you love!!!) as long as it isn't colder than -20.  We typically go 6.5k twice a week and 10k once a week.  So I fancy myself a runner.

 The first night that I showed up for Mudgee's free "run club" the warm up was 2k.  That should have been a tip off to the 8k of interval training that we would be doing.  Anyone who does 2k just to warm up, means business.  I did it though, and it was fun.  One of the women asked me if I like trail running.  "Sure", I reply, "trail running is fun".  I'm thinking of the Nepean Sportsplex, or maybe the local ravine runs through Riverside South. You know, mostly level ground with dirt/gravel.  Trail running.

I got a message from her two days later asking me to join her and some other people for a trail run.  When on exchange you SAY YES to everything, so I said yes.

I am an idiot.

That is stupid advice.

I should have asked better questions.  Smarter, more discerning questions.  Like: 1, "how many of the people who are joining us have completed an Ironman in the last 12 months?"  If I had asked, just that ONE question the answer would have been "everyone but you" and I would have stayed home.

I could also have asked "are we running on flat trails like in Ottawa?  Or are we running straight up one of these beautiful hills I've been admiring so much?"  Asking that question would have netted me an answer like "straight up a hill, rather like the final ascent to Everest" and I would have stayed home.

But no, I am an idiot.  So like the dumb puppy that I am.  I got in my car and I showed up, all in, eager to go.  And they all got out of their cars with their Ironman visors on and we jogged up a gravel road and then straight up a mother trucking hill mountain.

We did 3K up the hill mountain and 3K down.  I didn't even vomit at all.  So I am going to call that a win.

So I still fancy myself a runner, and an idiot.