So here it is, the last race. I decided to run my own race. I organized and secrectly advertised my own little run on one of my favorite trails in my home town of Alamo. Initially I had wanted to do something big, but after speaking wih the county, the insurance and permitting process was lengthy and costly.
I marked out two courses, a 12K and also a 5K for the people who didn't or couldn't run the steep trails.
The day before the race, I went out and marked the course with flour so no one would get lost. The trail "South Ave." begins at the ironhorse trail at Stone Valley road, only 1 mile from my house. You run along the ironhorse trail for about a mile and then run through some neighborhood until the trailhead and then you climb for another mile and 1/2. Once at the top of the climb your view of Mt. Diablo looking East is spectacular and then it is a rolling to downhilll run to Danville and then back along the Ironhorse trail to where you started.
The morning of the race I have 51 confirmed entrants including my self! How appropriate since it was my birthday and the end of my 50th year and the beginning of my 51st!the group was made up mostly of friends and family, although a few new people showed up that had heard about the run from someone else.
I had T-Shirts made up which listed all 50 events and had them ready to give out after the run!
My wife and 3 kids were their to hand out water, powerbars, gatorade, bananas and oranges.
We started the run right at 8:30 am. As we progressed through the course, I made sure to move to the front and back of the group to make sure everyone was doing ok. The run is strenuous even for the most fit!
When we got to the top of the climb, many people had stopped to tak in the view, it was a gloruouis morning and the view was spectacular. I also stopped to take in the view and reflect on what i had accomplished. It was a special moment, one thati won't soon forget.
We continued on the run, the faster runners moving on ahead and the slower runners jogging and walking along the course.
When I got back to the ironhorse trail from the last 1.5 miles of the run, I found myself alone for the last several minutes of the run. The thoughts kept running through my mind of all the incredible events and people I had met along the way and how each race had something special to offer. it was an emotional last few steps for me for when I was running the last 100 yards, All the people who had been there along the 50 in 50 journey were there lining the trail and clapping and cheering me on.
Throughout the past year I questioned myself about why I took on such a monumental challenge but I kept going and finsihed. The venues, the race promoters, the sponsors and most importantly the people made everything the journey worthwhile!