A Story From The Sidelines at Muleshoe Bend - Drawing Inspiration, part II

This weekend I had the pleasure of working an aid station through the night at Captain Karl's 60k at Muleshoe Bend State Park in the Texas Hill Country outside of Austin. It's a night race in the same series as Pedernales Falls 60k (my personal racing nemesis) that kicks off just as twilight rolls in and the cicadas are at full volume. I have found that it's always a pleasure to give some of my time back to the sport because I always receive so much in return - as far as finding inspiration as a trail runner, there's no better place than an aid station in the middle of the night.

Case in point: a lady came through in the early morning hours roughly 27 miles into her 38 mile adventure. She wasn't moving quickly but her determination caught my attention. After filling her water bottles and helping her find some food, we found a quiet minute to talk about how her day (or rather, her night) was going. She talked about the stifling heat, how the rocks that had beaten her feet to pieces, and how a couple falls that had left her scraped and bruised. Her pace had slowed to little more than a brisk walk. And yet, her constant refrain was "But I'm not going to stop." She had made her mind up that be it a run, walk, or crawl, she was going to persevere. She would enjoy the starry sky, the calls of the animals in the forest, enjoy running along the lakeside at night, and take in the beauty that surrounded her. It was a gritty optimism that was shared by many a runner who passed through our little outpost that night, but somehow my chat with her struck a chord with me.

Trail runs of whatever distance are filled with rugged people and stories like hers, which is why being around them is so good for my soul. I have a tendency to rate an event by how I placed, or how I felt, or whether I hit this or that goal time. I do not often allow myself the chance to step back and look at the bigger picture. 

Being in amazing landscapes away from the bustle of urban and suburban life is a treat that comes along all to rarely in our lives these days. We're often plugged in, logged on, harried, trying to put out fires and meet our obligations. I'm certainly no different. I even commented to one of my friends at the aid station that I often forget how a sky blanketed in stars looks because I so rarely see it anymore. I need to remember that plugging in to nature and enjoying the company of like minded people is the real goal here. Perhaps I could even consider - perish the thought - slowing down to savor a moment on the trail rather than speeding up and worrying about a finishing time. 

I think the lady I met may have let me in on a little secret: that there is joy to be found in the good days and the bad days if you only know where to look. I think that if I can keep this in mind, I can learn to find even more enjoyment from these crazy little adventures on hill and trail....