Registered tonite for the Aspen Backcountry Marathon. Two hundred and fifty runners. 3800 feet of climb over twenty six miles of trails, peaking at around 10,000 feet. Will be run on August 13.
What am I doing? The Bridger is run on August 13! Have I lost my mind?
No, I am still in love with the Bridger. Fearing and loathing it at the same time. But my love may be unrequited. Less thanhalf the people who apply to run the Bridger are let in each year. Recognizing that a crowded ridgeline course with precipitous drops on either side is a bad idea, they limit the race to 250 entrants and stagger the start into several groups. Applications for the Bridger are submitted online between May 8 and 15. A simple form, with the opportunity to write a short paragraph (no more than 250 characters) as to why they should let you in.
How to capture all my running zeitgeist in a paragraph that won’t lead the reader to think I’m nuts will not be easy. I’m enlisting the help of my wife, author of an about-to-be-published first novel, to help me craft the perfect paragraph. Ten days later, near the end of May, I’ll know whether I’m in, and my anxiety can return its focus to avoiding injury and getting stronger as the time flies by.
I very much want to tackle the Bridger challenge this year. No question. But it is not under my control. The only rational thing to do is to have a “plan B”. And to prepare to embrace it if need be. With that in mind, I recently perused the pages of running magazines in search of my backup date to the Prom. And there she was, an auburn beauty, the Aspen Marathon. Same day. Incredibly scenic. While I have no desire to run a traditional (street) marathon, the idea of running a second marathon — 18 years after the Napa Marathon — is intriguing, and a worthy set of bookends if that is how it plays out. I’ve even managed to convince myself that Aspen will be easier than the Bridger, even though six miles longer. But the fact is, both are ridiculously hard. Last year, nine men between the ages of 50 and 60 ran the Aspen Marathon. Seven of the nine finished, and only two of them ran it faster than 5 hrs and 15 minutes. Like the Bridger, I will need to plan on running/walking/stumbling (at an altitude ranging between 7,000 and 10,000 feet) for roughly five and a half hours.
I’m now officially registered for the Aspen Marathon. Tomorrow I’ll start on the Bridger application, with author/wife’s help. Let the chips fall where they may.