Made the Merrell Down and Dirty

As you know, I spent some time bemoaning not being able to run in the Merrell Down and Dirty race last month. As a cathartic practice I wrote a piece for this blog site. That helped me to let go of the race and the lost registration fee. Another interesting thing came of it, encouragement. I managed to buckle down, work through some things, readjust my schedule and so forth in order to make the race. Shannan was a great cheerleader and help in the process and at the race itself. I thank her for all the help and motivation she offered.

Race morning I planned perfectly. I chose the appropriate clothes for the race and afterwards. I remembered to tape my shoes (a trick I learned after running Mt. Marathon in Alaska). All I had left to do was run. So I did. Conyers Olympic International Horse Park provided a beautiful setting. The folks at Merrell provided a fun and challenging course. I admit I fell off of the 3rd of consecutive tiered balance beams, otherwise I fully engaged every other obstacle. In the end, I confessed to Shannan that these “adventure” races are a bit silly. I realize I have competed in one a year for three years in a row. That may be enough for me, but I encourage you to go out for adventure races.

Run wild.

Tom