DaCrizzow

    The Smith Rock Ascent 50k Trail Run. AKA The 54k 50k. Yeah, there was a surprise 2.5 miles tagged on at the end. Doesn't sound like much but watching my GPS get closer to 31 miles and knowing there was no way it was going to be over then was a little unnerving.     I had been looking at this as an "A" race. I did the 25k course last year. I love this place and this is my kind of trail. Smooth singletrack with some rocky technical sections, a couple of big climbs (and descents, unfortunately) and lots of open scenery to keep me inspired and motivated. BUT....the last couple months have been full of stress, distractions and injury so my "A" race would now be a supported training run. Didn't matter. I love running here and that's all that mattered. the creepy van at skull hollow     I headed down the night before to camp in my van. There's an on-site walk-in campground but they don't allow car camping so I found a campground about eight mi

    A few years ago someone I knew was going through some incredible health issues. "health issues" being a couple months out from dying. They knew this was happening and I knew it. It really just gave us an opportunity to sit and talk a little more openly than usual. One morning during this time, we were just sitting on the back porch on a late spring morning. Sun was already warming up, dew still on the grass and we're sitting in a screened in porch drinking coffee when they say to me, 'I wish I could run. I wish I could just go run and run and run until I can't take another step. When I was little, I used to love to run and that's all I want to do right now. I think about it all the time.'     This person had never been particularly athletic or anything like that nor really "outdoorsy." no more than the average person anyway, but I understood what was meant with this.     Being a recovering addict who finds a lot of relief and spirituality f