A year ago, I did
a five-day series in Tennessee called the Jackal Marathons. I knew these races would be difficult, but I
signed up for them because it was a chance to run a quadzilla (four marathons
in four days) in a new state. I only
needed to do four of these races, but I signed up to the fifth one as
well. In for a penny, in for a pound.
I knew these races
would be difficult. Any time you run
marathons on five consecutive days, it takes a toll on you. What made these races particularly difficult was
the extreme heat and humidity. June in
Tennessee is always hot, but last year was unusually hot. There were heat advisories every day, with
the heat index consistently hitting 100 degrees by noon. On the last day, the heat index rose to 109.
The heat wasn’t
the only challenge. Three of the five
races were trail races. I’m out of my
element on trails. The trails we were
running on the first two days weren’t particularly technical, but there were
roots, and I tripped and fell both days.
For the rest of the week, my lower back was bothering me.
Days three and
four were on pavement. I thought those
races would be easier. What I didn’t
realize until I got there was how much the pavement would heat up on a sunny
day. The course was easier, but the heat
was worse.
Day five was the
most challenging course, and it was the hottest day, but it was the deer flies
that had me wanting to quit. Every lap,
I was getting multiple bites. The flies
were relentless. They kept feeding until
I killed them, and each time I slapped one, it would leave a blood spatter the
size of a quarter.
After that last
race, I said that I wouldn’t have done that race if I had known how difficult
it would be. I also said I wouldn’t be
back. Guess what. I’m back!
I’m doing all five of these races again this year.
Why did I decide
to come back? This may sound strange,
but I couldn’t bear the thought of not coming back.
Last year, I chose
to do these races in spite of the difficulty.
I found myself surrounded by runners who knew exactly what to
expect. They were doing these races because
of the difficulty. I was in the company
of bad-ass trail runners who thrive on doing difficult things. As someone who sets challenging goals, I felt
like I had found my tribe.
I came back because
I wanted to prove to myself that I belong here.
If I was “one and done,” I would’ve felt like a wimp.
The series starts
tomorrow. Before these races are over, I
may wonder what I was thinking. I’m all
but certain I’ll have regrets on day five.
I know it’ll be hot again, but I’m cautiously optimistic that it won’t
be as hot as last year. My new worry is
the possibility of thunderstorms.
One additional
challenge this year is lack of recovery time.
Last year, this series started 15 days after the FANS 24-Hour Run. This year, the first race is only six days
after FANS. That’s not much recovery
time.
One thing about
this series is easy. All of the race
venues are within 30 miles of my hotel in Jackson. I flew to Memphis this morning and drove to
Jackson from there. My hotel room has a
kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator.
After checking in, I did some grocery shopping.
Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
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