Jay and I loaded up the car Friday afternoon, almost like packing the car for camping; bed linens, towels, food, cooler, clothes for just about any weather condition. The night before while cooking twice baked potatoes for the dinner Saturday after the run, we pulled out the gps found White Rock Mountain. The couple we were to meet there had given Jay directions using topographical maps recently and Jay told me later, “there’s no way to get there from here.” Luckily we found it on the gps.
So, with the car loaded up, we got on the road around 5pm. It was a bright sunny day and the sun was still up but slowly creeping to its eventual bedtime. We charted the course to White Rock Mountain and followed the magenta line on the gps screen. I had packed two steak sandwiches for dinner on the road. We chatted most of the way and noted some of the places we were passing while driving in new parts of Arkansas. By then, of course, it was dark, so we pointed on the gps screen to see what landmarks were near. Using gps is very surreal as you note things on the screen and then see them appear before your eyes. It also tells you when to turn and scolds you if you go “off route.” We made a few potty breaks and also ate our sandwiches while about an hour and a half out from our destination. As we make the final turn off the “main road” and onto fire roads up the mountain, suddenly it got dark, and yet the full moon loomed over our shoulders. It light up the way along these very dark, very lonesome fire roads. The road was also very snow covered, so my Subaru got a workout and kept us on the road with no worries. An hour later AFTER pulling onto the fire road, we made it to the final ascent to the point of White Rock Mountain. The lodge we had reserved sits atop the mountain and has a 30 mile vista point within a few steps from our lodge door. About 2300 ft elevation.
We pull up to the lodge and see others have arrived before us. The door opens and there are 9 others there all sitting around the wood burning stove. It was a cozy group to say the least. The lodge is all wood and has 2 bedrooms on opposite ends with the living room and kitchen in the middle. It actually sleeps 18, everyone in bunkbeds. Lucikly we were only 11 in the group, so the couples were able to pull two beds together to make a double bed. After we unloaded everything, we also noticed everyone was feeling pretty good—it was 9:30 by then and they’d had dinner, drinks, dessert, and more drinks. One of the couples makes homemade wine and they’d brought enough for everyone to enjoy.
I was pretty tired, and anxious for the run the next day, so we settled in our two person bunkbed, put on pajamas and snuggled into our sleeping bag ready to doze off. Just then, I lean over to Jay and say, “I’m too excited to sleep!” To which he chuckled and quickly fell asleep. It was a restless night for me to say the least. The rowdy bunch in the living room stayed up pretty late and there’s not much soundproofing between the walls. They played music, told more stories on each other and sang. It’s really a fun group and they know how to have fun too. I woke up at least 4 times throughout the night, having to go to the bathroom. Also having to sit on the cold toilet where there is no heat in the bathrooms. Then around 5:45am the early risers got up, made coffee and started in again with their stories. About 6:30am we finally decided to
roll out of bed. As I went into the middle room, the runners in the group were already suited up for the run. Wow, they move fast and have such cool gear, I uttered to myself. I made my standard big bowl of oatmeal and part of a banana for breakfast. At about 7:10am the sun started to come up and we all took a picture outside in front of the sunrise.
Next we piled in the car to make the ONE HOUR ride down the mountain. Sheesh. It was also the first time I’d seen the course because Jay and I drove in the back way the night before. All bundled up and trying not to overheat but also not get cold, we chatted in the car as it moved slowly up and down the various mountains between the lodge and the start line.
OH, I didn’t tell you…you won’t believe this. The race organizers had cancelled the race the day before due to poor road conditions! Can you believe that? So, the five of us just said, what the heck, we are here, let’s run it on our own. So, we did…the field of 5--idiots.
As we make it to the bottom, an hour later, the gals all had to take a potty break and we stop at the local store to see if anyone else is there to run also. NOPE. We are the ONLY ones there. Idiots. It’s a beautifully sunny morning, but it’s also 15 degrees.
So, we get back in the car, drive to the “virtual start line” get all our gear back on and head up, one by one up the mountain.
Let me just say here, I was ready for the run, I felt good, I knew it was uphill at the start. What I didn’t realize was that it would be 38 minutes later that I would finally crest the first hill and begin to descend. That lasted only about 10 minutes before I had to ascend again, another 20 minutes. Sheesh, is this what I’m going to be facing? By then I had caught up to the two other gals off and on. One of them a short gal who is 4’11 and 58, Betty. We walked and ran together for about 30 minutes while the other gal shot off like a rocket and kept running every single mile. I couldn’t believe her.
Now I begin to ascend the second mountain, and I keep going and going and going. It never ends and not just that, it’s full of false summits. You think the next turn is the top, but alas, NO. Keep going fool. After another 30 minutes of this, I finally hit the top and begin the descent. Oh boy, this is steep and fast, no rest for the weary at all. By this time, Betty begins to jump ahead of me and by the end (25 minutes later), she’d taken off ahead of me. Oh well, I thought, I’ve got my iTunes, I can sail through this myself.
My legs are really beginning to burn now. By the way, on the uphills, it’s all walking. I’m not running the uphill. I run the downhills and the very few prescious flats. As I get to the bottom, I remember someone saying it’s 5 miles from that spot where you cross a creek. I take a quick bathroom break, knowing only one person is behind me—way behind. Ah…that felt good. But not for long, uphill again. Up, up, up. Get to the top, I’m dying at this point, really thinking to myself, I can’t finish this…but everyone would know and I promised myself I would do this. That’s how you talk yourself though these things, you feel good, feel bad, are angry, and then get past it. So, I turn a bend and look up, there is the point where the LODGE is—yippee. And I see a few of the spouses/partners up there waiving at me. WOOOOO, I yell back. Wow, I’m so close and it turns into a long winding flat section, just what I needed, although my legs were really beginning to seize up and so it was a pain-pleasure kind of thing. And, what I also know is that I’m still a 5K out from the lodge, it’s up there another 40 minutes. That’s good motivation, so begin to get into the last part. What I didn’t remember from the ride down was waiting around the bend-yet another long and steep hill. Also by then, my stomach had been slowly becoming a bit nauseous…I wasn’t feeling too good. I was angry, I was tired, I was WORN out. But there it was, the last stretch, surely I can do this. The last two miles were absolute hell. Straight up, windy and long. It’s a strange feeling, I’m walking but it hurts like crazy, I’ve been out there THREE hours now. Why can’t I just walk up this hill? A strange mind game. I push on my thighs as I make it up slowly but surely. I can still see the point off to my right, it’s getting closer and closer.
I see a sign for ONE MORE MILE. Okay, I think I can do this. One ore steep hill. OMG. But I get through it and think that’s it. Wrong again and I run out of water. Oh man, then, I get to the road to the lodge and it goes up again, but only for about 300 feet. I realize I’m on the road home, so I walk up it like nothing, my mind has settled on being done. I get to the top, the road levels off and I begin to jog again, it actually feels good to stretch my legs a bit.
I run by the home of the lodge manager, the dogs come out to greet me, then some of the folks who didn’t run see me and come out to greet me with their cameras. I actually get a smile on my face…I’m close. Then I have to run past the lodge, through a small picnic area and then down slightly to the point (The one I saw from the road earlier), and there is Jay, the finish man, taking pictures of me as I come to the finish. I barely see him as I look at the official time clock: 3 hours, 34 minutes and 30 seconds. DONE. I go to the edge, almost puke, stretch a bit and walk right by Jay…I say nothing. Someone is walking towards me and she had water. I basically grab it from her and take a big swig and keep walking. I was afraid if I stopped I wouldn’t get back up that short knoll to get back to the lodge. So, I gingerly walk up, get to the lodge, drink some water and remember there’s one person behind me. I waited for him outside and run with him to the finish. Jay has stayed at the finish line to take pictures of everyone. I see him, hug him and we walk back to the lodge. He says, how was it? I say, “I’m not got going to do this one again. It was horrible, the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.” He says, right. Later he tells me he told that to the crew we were with, to which they all replied, “Alright, she’ll be back. Everyone says that their first time.” Hmm, still haven’t made up my mind.
The rest of the day was a blur, I ate, I showered, I took a nap, we ate again. I was in bed earlier again. It was an experience, let me just say that. Hope you enjoyed my lengthy recounting of the trip.
