Cooler weather finally arrived in north Alabama for the 11th Annual running of the Wade Mountain Marathon, Half-marathon and 10K. Training in the oven and racing in the refrigerator is rewarding. The opportunity comes around only once a year and the 3rd weekend of October in Huntsville, Alabama provides prime weather for a day on the rocks in the woods. A couple of races that I've run in years past have moved to this weekend. The Chattanooga Stages races were the first weekend of summer when I ran them in 2015. The Georgia Jewel was the last weekend of summer in 2016 and 2018. Both are on the 3rd weekend of October now.
Over one hundred participants arrived on a crisp, clear and cloudless Sunday morning at the Wade Mountain Nature Preserve, most remaining in their vehicles until start time. It was not exceptionally cold, but suffering three final days of 90 degree temps within the last week intensifies lower 40 degree temps. I had a thin layer of frost on the top of my windshield when I left home with my folding chair and my 2015 IRONMAN Chattanooga backpack full of running supplies.
I arrived shortly before 7am to a mostly empty gravel parking lot where only a few friendly Running Lane associates were stirring around, setting up the grill for hamburgers and standing behind the packet pickup table. The comforting sight of dual yellow port-o-potties near the trailhead triggered nostalgic memories of port-o-potties of past endurance events. I popped the hatchback on my silver 2011 Honda Pilot and began removing supplies from my backpack and laying them out on the felted cardboard covering my spare tire. Before leaving home, I'd grabbed two perfectly ripe bananas from the fruit bowl plus a couple of vanilla Ensures to start the day. The rest of my run calories would be GUs, water + LNMT and a little Gatorade squeezed from my Amphipod 20 oz and the two aid stations on course.
Over one hundred participants arrived on a crisp, clear and cloudless Sunday morning at the Wade Mountain Nature Preserve, most remaining in their vehicles until start time. It was not exceptionally cold, but suffering three final days of 90 degree temps within the last week intensifies lower 40 degree temps. I had a thin layer of frost on the top of my windshield when I left home with my folding chair and my 2015 IRONMAN Chattanooga backpack full of running supplies.
I arrived shortly before 7am to a mostly empty gravel parking lot where only a few friendly Running Lane associates were stirring around, setting up the grill for hamburgers and standing behind the packet pickup table. The comforting sight of dual yellow port-o-potties near the trailhead triggered nostalgic memories of port-o-potties of past endurance events. I popped the hatchback on my silver 2011 Honda Pilot and began removing supplies from my backpack and laying them out on the felted cardboard covering my spare tire. Before leaving home, I'd grabbed two perfectly ripe bananas from the fruit bowl plus a couple of vanilla Ensures to start the day. The rest of my run calories would be GUs, water + LNMT and a little Gatorade squeezed from my Amphipod 20 oz and the two aid stations on course.
