It is that time of year again; the leaves are turning color, the grapes are ripening on the vine, school is back in session, the weather outside is crisp and clear -- autumn has always been my favorite season. And just like last year it is my "off-season" - supposedly a time of rest and recovery - a time when the experts recommend taking it easy, focusing on lifting weights, honing technical skills, sleeping...
But just like last year my off-season calendar is filled with another weird assortment of endurance events:
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We were also spurred to jump through the obstacles with the always-enticing motivation of free shoes for the winning team. My team of largely middle-aged, male distance runners seemed especially incentivized by prospect of winning shoes. During the long build-up to the obstacle event my team grew increasingly confident-- confidence bordering on swaggering cockiness. In retrospect I am not sure what gave my team such confidence.
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My teammates (though also slow-twitch athletes) were clearly more agile than me, but still no match for the teams made up of young, co-ed basketball and rugby players.
I was a bit relieved that we were hopelessly in last place when my turn toward last leg of relay arrived. Still I gamely stumbled through the various obstacles as best I could even as I am being totally overtaken as you can see in the adjacent picture.
At the end I absolutely exhausted, but primarily just relieved that I did not pull any muscles. Despite my pitiful showing in the Battle Run I come away feeling determined to enter other obstacle type races in the future - one because of the sheer fun of it and two because of obvious need to diversify the type of exercise that I do.
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I had sought to visit Sapa since hearing a fellow traveler's captivating description of climbing Mount Fanispan a half dozen years ago.
So at last second I register for the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, an event of increasing popularity that attracts a variety of different runners from all over the world to a remote mountain setting, and that requires an overnight train and dangerous van ride along winding mountain roads to reach Sapa.
It is my second "once in a lifetime race experience" in just over a single month (including Australia Worlds)
There is a lot to be said for recent race specific training the experts say. But once again I have to rely on long-term muscle memory, memory that has faded with lack of any running on trails.
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Apparently a winner never quits, and quitter never wins. But by 9k I have totally given up on placing well in the Vietnam Mountain Marathon.
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But hey the terraced rice fields are simply stunning and when am ever going to be back on these remote trails?
Afterwards I am asked about my "running race" by the wildly ebullient guest house staff, and I am not sure that it is technically accurate to call what I did a "running race" given I had walked or climbed more than 50% of the course so it wasn't technically a "run" and I did not consider myself to be racing anyone. I was too busy enjoying the mountain scenery and the wildlife along the course
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Fruits Marathon
I enjoy a triumphant podium finish --
with a crowd of teammates cheering raucously and the race sponsors awarding me a huge box of grapes.
The run experience was great fun ---
running through vineyards,
dealing with a wicked sequence of hills,
mixing it up with teammate Michael T
and enjoying my last second kick finish....
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.....but...
.....I will take any glory I can get these days (especially after my triathlon season)
.....I will take any glory I can get these days (especially after my triathlon season)
and moreover, look at all these grapes...