Alex P.
View from out secret lookout
It was refreshing to run with someone, which I haven't done in awhile. Both of us were coming off DNFs and not-so-thrilling summer race schedules, so we were both equally frustrated with ourselves. The run should have started around 1300, but thanks to my idiotic behaviors we didn't start until 1400. Here is how it went down.
I rolled into the parking lot at the Buck Hollow trailhead at 1215. I filled my pack with goodies and got everything ready for the run. I was a little early so I hung out and listened to music in my car while I waited for Alex. He rolled in at 1235 and was ready by 1245. We locked up the cars and slung on our packs. Ready to go! But wait, we forgot to apply bug spray.
Alex said, "Wait, I need some bug spray, I don't want to get ticked."
"I have some in the car, let me get it quick."
We walked to my car, I put the key in the driver's side door (yeah, I am still old school, no keyless entry here...), and turned it twice to the right to unlock all of the doors. I walked to the trunk, opened it up, laid the key next to my cooler, and got out the bug spray. Ok, bug spray applied. Put the bug spray back, shut the trunk, walk to the driver's side door, lock all the doors, shut the driver's side door. NOW we are ready! But wait, I should probably grab some baby wipes...you never know... Walk to driver's side door, dig out my key from my pack...no key. Check my hand bottle, no key. Check the other pocket on my pack, no key. Check the roof of my car, no key. Check the ground, no key. You see where this is going, right?
Luckily, I cracked all the windows before I locked it up. So...what else should we do other than start shoving sticks through the windows?!? Obviously, that didn't work. We spent 15 minutes gathering live sticks because they bend better than dead ones, and we needed to bend one around the window and down the inside towards the unlock button. We didn't even get close.
After 15 minutes of fumbling around with sticks we got desperate and asked some other folks if they had a hanger. No luck. Ok, back to the sticks. Still not working. Alex had some bungees in his car, which served no purpose at all, but we got them out anyway. We were pulling out all the tricks.
Meanwhile, as we goofed around with bungees and lumber, a park ranger pulled up and watched all of this. After laughing at us for who knows how long he drove up to us. Thank goodness, help has arrived! Cell service is non-existent in those parts of Virginia, so I didn't even have a way to call for help. After explaining to the ranger that we WERE breaking into a car, but that the car was MINE, he busted out his lockout kit and we went to work.
To make a long story short...the rain guards around my front windows were pulled off, my car had scratches around both front doors and on both panels inside the car, there was a metal rod inside my passenger side door which banged around the entire way home...but the car was finally unlocked! Sure enough, the key was right where I left it beside the cooler. When I got home later at night I took the panel off my passenger door and removed the metal rod - I now have a souvenir!
The run was awesome! Alex took me on a lot of trails that he has been running for years, but were all new to me. We saw quite a few hikers. Some knew where they were going, others required some directions. Two folks were emplacing some bear cameras so we stopped and asked a bunch of questions. Three younger hikers were looking for Marye's Rock, a really awesome overlook of Shenandoah and Massanutten. After they walked DOWNHILL for 2 miles looking for an OVERLOOK they should have recognized where they went wrong...
Although we saw no bears or wildlife it was still an awesome run. I always enjoy running new routes more than routes I am familiar with. The weather was nearly perfect - no sun, no rain, about 55 degrees at higher elevations, a slight breeze on the ridges...couldn't ask for a better day to run. We covered 14.1 miles and 4,700 feet of elevation gain in about 3:15. Not blazing speed by any definition, but our goal was to forget the miserable summer we had and to remember the real reasons we run...for the beauty of the forest, the adventure, the camaraderie, the opportunity to talk about weird stuff that nobody else understands, to look for bear cameras, to discuss the best way to pack a hydration system, determine whether PB&J is better than dried fruit during a 100 miler, and to freakin' get away from the madness! Alex has been an awesome friend and an awesome running companion over the last few months. So has Dan! Didn't mean to leave you out brother.
My goal for the next 5 weeks is to run as often as I can without a watch and to just enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. My next race is 09 Nov and the goal there is to get a dang finish! I will approach my training for the next few weeks on a day-to-day basis - if I feel like running then I will, if I don't feel like running then I won't. I intend to avoid junk miles and the "training" mentality. The cold weather feels so good and I am very ready for snow.
