The Ultra-Adventures of a Painfully Normal Girl

As it turns out, I had to cancel my running plans last Saturday. I had found a trail 5k to celebrate the completion of the couch to 5k program, but the government found me. Instead I was "invited" (= ordered) to attend a muster for the Inactive Reserves. I can only glean from the muster that they wanted to ensure we were still alive and relatively productive members of society. Oh, and to pitch the joys of becoming an active reservist.

No 5k for me and I missed the group run as well. Sigh.

Actually, it turned out better than expected. The area on base that we were summoned to was full of units that, well, like to inflict physical pain... I mean... training upon their Marines. I did a little informational reconnaissance and discovered the gold mine of trails beginning at that very location. Of course, I brought running gear knowing that I would be able to find some trails; I just didn't know how close they would actually be.

I had heard tales of the sadistic Marine Corps training device known as "the Reaper". A hill/mountain of epic infamy as well as epic accomplishment. I was too close to pass up the opportunity to see it and bask in its shadows.

Off I plodded, ignorant to the path that was leading me towards it. I was told that I would be approaching it from the back side, and while the trail would be uphill, it would be more of a rolling uphill. Granted, I am still building up my training and have not been doing serious hill runs, but wow.

Uphill still means uphill and rolling means slow torture because the "up" part keeps going and going and going. The undulations of the trail grew increasingly more severe and I was reduced to hiking with short bits of sloooooow running. Towards the top there were placards with Medal of Honor citations which made me reminisce back to the time when I entered the Marines in all of my motivated glory.

Finally, I found it veering off to the right and heading down. Wait. I think that's it. No. Maybe. Crap. Well, I will continue going up because that is smart, right?! Well, at least I could get a better view. The upward undulations here were of psychotic clown rollercoaster proportions. After clawing my way up a section that gained 100ft of elevation in 0.1 mile. I decided that was enough. It was too steep to run down so I slid down on a rock slide of gravel.  

I should have trusted my instinct in the first place and returned to the almost unassuming Reaper. I was told that is how it gets you. It doesn't look that bad...how bad can it really be?! Luckily, I was under no force but my own and I was standing at the top looking down. Don't get me wrong, it is utterly impressive when you realize just how small things at the bottom actually appear.

Because of the time, I only ventured half way down to appreciate the steepness of the grade; steepness that not even my gamin would register. And then I walked back up. It is a force to be reckoned with for sure.

But now it was time to started heading back. Alright downhilling time! Unfortunately, the previous strain combined with steep downhills that I was not ready for caused Thing #1 to flare up part way down. This forced me to walk the rest of the way back to my car but I had probably ran about 4 miles of the entire journey, which was my goal.

I will head back to those trails when I have trained on more mountains and my knee is ready for the abuse. It was the adventure and inspiration that I so needed. Until next time...

Note: I did not take a picture of the actual Reaper because I felt it almost too sacred.

Up, up, and away...

100 ft in 0.1 mile = wall (not trail)