On the verge of crazy

After my run today, I honestly had to take a step back and really think about why I'm doing this race on Saturday. The SanTan Scramble (50K) is not your ordinary run - I've been having fun running the trails and casually getting used to the sand and rocks infiltrating my shoes, but the 5 miles you see below was one of the most difficult runs I've ever done. It bordered on treacherous in some places, not to mention over 1,000 feet of elevation change.


In honor of this run, I created the top 5 reasons why I don't want to do this race:

5. Rocks/sand in the shoes. A constant battle that either requires emptying the shoes every 2 miles or cataclysmic blisters if ignored.
4. Under training. Though only 5 more miles than a marathon, I still don't feel prepared.
3. Slight pain in my left arch. It crept up on me the last couple runs. It only hurts during the run, not after.
2. Elevation. Aside from the pure distance, the elevation gain within the 31 miles should be 3,000+ ft (cumulative)

.............

1. Hazardous trails

Oh, don't worry. I still plan on running it. My intent all along was to have fun and complete an ultra-marathon. There will be walking, resting and cursing during this race. Guarantee it.

9 hours to finish? I can do that...

Not many folks out there who have Ironman, marathoner and ultra-marathoner on their resumes.