November 3, 2007
Shut-in Ridge 18 Mile Trail Race

The North Carolina Arboretum is the host of both the pre-race dinner and the start of this point to point run. The dinner is catered in grand style. I look forward to this race as much for all of the familiar faces as I do the challenging run itself.

My body has been put through an awful lot this year. As a result, my endurance is at an all time high but my speed has degraded a fair amount. This would be a test of just how much speed I had left. My goal is generally to beat my previous time. I knew on this distance it would be a major challenge to even come close to it. I settled on breaking four hours with the intent of running in the low 3:50's.

Some runners bore pink and purple hearts in honor of Maggie Everette, who had recently experienced a stroke. I wound up finding one on the trail so I had it with me for much of the run.

At the start, I felt fine but knew I wouldn't have a particularly strong run. I wanted to start out a little slower than last year, where I experienced side cramps in the second mile and was forced to walk until they had gone away. I tried to jog more and without my usual bursts of speed. I figured more jogging and less fast running coupled with excessive hiking would get me to the finish line more comfortably.

I wasn't passing as many runners as I had last year. My comfort level remained high but I knew my time was a bit slow. Not using a watch helped me psychologically. I wasn't concerned about being at a certain place at a certain time.

I started out running with India Coleman and we stayed together until the first aid station. I kept going while she stopped and remained a few minutes ahead at each stop.

Past the midpoint, I caught up to Lloyd Basten. At 70, he would become the oldest runner to complete Shut-in. At the last aid stop, I saw Bob Cutler, who was manning it. He ran the race 25 times before retiring and becoming a volunteer.

I felt fantastic, with no major fatigue until the last section. Even after taking it easy the one mile climb toward the end got to me a bit. I still moved well and didn't have to stop to catch my breath like last year. Crossing the finish, I glanced at the clock. I was a bit disappointed with my time of 4:13, especially since I ran it in 3:47 last year. All of the miles had taken their toll on my body and it simply didn't want to travel any faster than it did.

B-Rex