I am signed up for a night trail marathon in few weeks. The race starts at 6:20 and there is a 7 1/2 hour cap on the race. Man, if it takes me 7 1/2 hours to complete the 26.2 I am not going to be a happy camper. A few things about the run. I am not a regular trail runner. I try to get out and do a 6 miler on a trail a few times a month, but there isn’t one located under 15-20 minutes from my house and because of the fact that I am an out-the-door runner trying to squeeze in as many miles as I can before a baby needs me or my husband has to leave, 15 minutes is almost 2 miles of running I could get in. I would love to run the trails on a regular basis.
So I decided I would try to get in a little night trail run. It was too last minute to invite anyone to go with me, but I thought the practice of navigating the hills in pure darkness would be good to get in. I knew the park didn’t close till 8:30, so at 5:30 I met my husband at the entrance, exchanged the baby, and I hit the tree line before the sun went down, barely.
I reached the top of the hill on one of the loops and was greeted with this beautiful view. I’m a sunset junkie so I stopped and snapped a few photos (that I couldn’t seem to get it in focus obviously) and continued on. The light from the setting sun mixed with the rising moon provided enough light for me to be able to see my surroundings.
Until it didn’t.
As it usually happens in nature, once the sun sets it gets dark fast. One minute your enjoying a pale blue and orange dusk, the next minute you can’t see the trees 2 feet to your left. I mean, I knew what I was getting myself into. I run in the dark on a regular basis, but I frequent the streets and comfort of the neighborhoods where if someone was going to attack me I could scream loud enough to be heard. But not here. If I were to scream, all you would hear would be the wings of a pack of spooked geese. So of course I started to talk myself into a mild panic.
I instantly contemplated turning around, but after a few seconds of thought I realized there is no “turning around” when you were in the middle of a loop. I could either go the same distance forward or the same distance back. Regardless, I was several miles in with no turning back.
So I attempted to relax and trust the process. Why is it that we can spend all day in the woods, but as soon as it gets dark, there are instantly a hundred bad guys and rabid coyote watching us? I turned my headlamp on and my music off and enjoyed the stillness and solitude of a winters night. For about 5 seconds.
I must have spooked a group of dear because suddenly out of that stillness I heard the breaking of trees. My eyes shot to the right and all I could see was the faint white from the tails of a group of about 10 deer bounding away from my path. “Geesh!” I practically yelled into the woods. All I could tell is that the size of their tails seemed rather large and I reminded myself that the animals, even the rabid ones, are just as scared of me as I am of them. So I knew I didn’t have to fear them, just the zombies.
I finally circled around the loop and decided not to hit the extra 2 mile loop that I had hoped to do and just head back. I approached the part of the trail where there is another trail head and it opened up to the most beautiful moon rise. It was so beautiful I even took a picture of it.
Cant you see it’s beauty in it from my high quality camera phone? It really was gorgeous. It’s times like these where I want to be like the movie Yes, Man and carry a nicer camera with me on my runs. Maybe Ill start wearing a backpack and carrying it in there. Probably not.
At that point you pass by a little field with a hill. On top of that hill is a small cemetery. Picture it. (Almost) full moon, cemetery, night darkness. Then I passed a sign that said ‘This area closes at dark’ as I entered the woods again to finish out my last mile or so before I was done.
Well, that did it for me. I was now convinced there were zombies all around me as I entered this pitch black section of the run. This area was in the low grounds by the river, so there was no moonlight to light my way. Only a useless headlamp and zombies.
I happily reminded myself again of why I never watch scary movies. Ever. Because at moments like this if I had visions from various scary movies floating around in my head, I know my hallucinations would have given me a heart attack.
Breath Katie breath, I kept repeating in between my out load prayers of “Lord, protect me”. I could feel my heart pounding at this point, as I kept trying to calm myself down. Whatever happens happens, I thought. At least I know I am right with God.
This, my friends, is why you always stay committed to the Lord. Because you never know when you are going to make the dumb choice of running in the middle of the woods by yourself at night and you run by a cemetery and spook the zombies and they attack you. You just never know.
The final ascent to the parking lot came into view to my right, and I powered into it with more strength then I knew I had. At least I knew that with my training, combined with the outrageous amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins I would have a good chance of out running the zombies to the top. I picked up speed as the never ending hill climbed. I could see a glimpse of the light from the bathrooms at the top, I sprinted faster, convinced that this would be the point they would attack since we were at the edge of the woods.
Suddenly I was exhausted. I wanted to slow down a little, but I kept telling myself if I just make it to the top I’ll be fine. Just make it to the top.
With all my might I finished the sprint and reached the light at the bathrooms.
I paused under the light, trying to catch my breath and recover from my effort before I continued the last quarter a mile to my vehicle, passing a surprising amount of cars still in the parking lot for not seeing a single person on the trail. Zombies…
I ran straight to my car, grabbed my key, jumped in and took off so fast I didn’t even turn off my gps.
I called my husband on my way home. I knew I was safe.
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