#GhostRunner – Reverse the course, Increase the Heat

  • When:07/30/15
  • QIC: Bratwurst
  • The PAX: Fault Line, Fletch, Mr. Brady, FaSoLa, CheckPoint (R), Tootie, TurkeyLeg, Soul Glow, Radar, Scabby, Swayze, Bear Naked, Geraldo, HorseHead, Hopper, StoneCold, The Mouth, Ickey Shuffle, Poptart, Steamer, Swiper, Bratwurst


#GhostRunner – Reverse the course, Increase the Heat

20 PAX assembled prior to 1930 on Thursday at the ABC Lot at the Arboretum.  2 more Late PAX grew the group to a solid 22.

Most were doubling down from Run, Bootcamp, or 0.0 workouts earlier in the day.  All in the name of 1st F BRR Prep, 2nd F run and post activity Happy Hour, 3rd F spiritualize not through hallucination but through connection, but all were crazy.

Why Crazy?  Well, here’s the weather report from the last 3 weeks at 1930 on Thursday:

  • two weeks ago – 84.0 F, 55% Humidity, 7mph breeze, Feels like 87.0
  • one week ago – 75.0 F, 89% Humidity, 12mph breeze, Feels like 75.0
  • yesterday – 91.0 F, 56% Humidity, 7mph breeze, Feels like 101.0!

This started as two groups (4mi, 6mi) with all deciding that Reverse Course was in order.  Comments beforehand on the Reverse course idea:

  • Hairball on Twitter – “downhill 4 mile creek and providence? #smart”
  • Bratwurst on Twitter – “it’s a loop, uphill becomes Downhill.  Difference will be end of 6 mi loop is a long flat along 51.”
  • TurkeyLeg at the start – “reverse is worse”

Who was right?  Let’s just say Hairball, perhaps because he knew it was #nosmart and was a no show, was way off.

It started off as a nice 1mi downhill group run for both the 6mi/4mi course, albeit with the occasional “car up”, PAX noticed things like there’s an actual golf course along the route with real golfers, birds chirping, and babbling brooks.  This is normally the last 1.0mi of the course where you’re so focused on the end, nothing comes into view but about 10yards straight in front of you.  #smart so far.  Radar was pushing the pace.  However, what was serene, quickly turned ugly with the climb up to 4 Mile Creek Rd.  Spurned by Turkey Leg, Swiper (newbie on the course), and Mr. Brady, the 6milers went Right, and the 4 milers were left with more of the hill.

“Uphill becomes Downhill” – you don’t tend to notice a downhill as much as an uphill, until you turn it around the other way.  What you enjoyed before, turns into a bit of a nightmare.  It’s like a whole new course.

“Just wait for Whitethorn” was TurkeyLeg’s prophecy, and he was right.  This is normally the part of a nice cruise, but let’s just say it was a long and never-ending climb.  Relief was not found until Providence.

“downhill on Providence #smart” NOT.  When you realize that there is an equal climb the other way, the only benefit was perhaps an increased breeze from the cars coming toward you.  By the end of Providence onto Windbluff, it was pure will power to make it home.  It was at this point Mr. Brady pulled away from Swiper, TurkeyLeg, Fletch and a large group following just behind, to make it a Mr. Brady solo run from there.

End in sight – when the 6mi group got back to Windbluff and Raintree, there’s a decision to make on the Reverse course to head up Raintree about 0.4mi to home with the 4mi group, or to zigzag across to Rounding Run for 1.4mi more.  Either it was a claim of ignorance of the directions, which can be believed from Scabby and Bear Naked, or because the end was in sight, but many of the PAX broke off for home.  Mr. Brady, Swiper, Turkey Leg, and Fletch were in the zone (or delirious), so they continued on Rounding Run.

“long flat along 51” – normally a nice 2nd F pace in the first mile, this became a death march with the last 0.6mi with each PAX checking over his shoulder sure he was about to be overtaken by a dog walker.  The traffic light at Raintree was a welcome sight, but it seemed like it would never get there.

“bunch of naked guys, where are the women” – as the 22 PAX sweat it out in COT and started to disrobe (pretty sure Mr. Brady was just in a towel by that point), pedestrians / teens / punks walking by on Hwy 51 at COT threw some interesting comments our way.  Either their vision was bad and they didn’t notice that 22 guys outnumbered their 5 to 6, the PAX were just too tired or unwilling to make any comments or movements toward the punks, or because it would have ruined a nice 2nd F planned at Vitners, we let it go.  Got to think of something to say to EH them next time…

Thanks to Checkpoint taking us out in the most stifling and sweaty ball of man so far!

101 degrees men.  You did it!

 

 

4.6 – 0.4 to home

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Hairball
8 years ago

Humbled to have been mentioned in a BB while being a no show. Hated to miss out…kinda

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