Vermont or Bust

Monday January 6 dawned bitterly cold with snow squalls. The weather folks were calling it a Polar Vortex, a term not familiar to many, if any lay people. Online registration for the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run was opening at 10:00 a.m. I had tried to register for the 2013 version, but got wait listed. I was determined to hit the registration page precisely at 10:00. Each time I refreshed the page, the website's clock was providing a countdown. Finally the registration site opened and I began filling out the online form. I had visions of the server getting overloaded or my internet connection getting hit up by the storm. Low and behold, I was able to complete the entire app, provide payment information & hit the submit button. Now I was holding my breath to see if I had everything in, in time to beat the cut off. In a few minutes I got my emailed confirmation number and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I did NOT want to be wait listed again. I just cannot motivate myself if I'm not "in." I learned later in the day, the race closed after 1 1/2 hours. By 4:00 p.m. there were over 50 runners wait listed. Unbelievable! So Tuesday night with zero temperatures under a waxing moon, I'm sitting at Adam Casseday's kitchen table discussing the pros and cons of long back to backs, total weekly mileage and many of the other strategies that come into play when preparing for an Ultra Marathon. Even though I've run several Ultras, I still consider myself a newbie. I have never tackled a 100 miler, and I plan on soliciting as much sage advice as I can. We're fortunate here in the mountains of North Central WV, because there are several seasoned Ultra runners. Hell, Adam ran the entire Applachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine. He knows something about distance running. Anyway, I left Adam and Kadra's new home with a plan, and after all, isn't that the first step? I feel good about the plan, and all we need now is to begin implentation. Oh btw, I'm not one for New Years resolutions, but I made one this year. Several followers of my humble blog have asked me why I quit blogging, and the answer to that is....I really don't know. I just stopped, but my promise to myself is to make every attempt to keep my blog current and share the many emotions, both high and low, I will encounter in the coming months. July 19, 0400. Toe the line. Happy trails & Stay Warm, Jim