200 mile of inspiration

"You have never lived till you have almost died. For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know."

So I haven't returned to serious mileage yet. I have been rock climbing three times a week and doing my Glute Medius workouts. I am in the hunt of getting stronger and trying to figure out what I need to do to find my passion again. 

If you asked me if I would ever lose my passion for running, I could not imagine it. But last week, I was feeling the blues. I was feeling lethargic and done. I just wanted to eat Rocky Rococo's and watch my belly expand. 

Doesn't this just look carbolicious! 

Last weekend, I was able to witness something that turned that running misery around. I was able to crew my boy Lee Dalgety as he attempted to run 200 miles at the T-Bunk. 

Now what has gotten me down lately is just a lack of connection, I have felt a lack of connection with my job, wife and the world around me. I have felt like I am floating through life each day and not really feeling connected. There have been moments where I feel connected with people, but lately it has been few and far between. I feel these lyrics from Bruce Springsteen song better day really represent what I was feeling:

" Well my soul checked out missing as I sat listening

To the hours and minutes tickin' away

Yeah just sittin' around waitin' for my life to begin

While it was all just slippin' away

I'm tired of waitin' for tomorrow to come

Or that train to come roarin' round the bend"

I long to feel connected. I love running because it is one of the few sports were I feel truly connected to the world around me. Each foot step is a realization that I am one with the earth. Each foot pound is a realization that I need to remain grounded. But without running, what am I? 

When I am with my friend Lee, I feel connected. Lee is one of my few running buddies. When we run together the miles do fly by, if you do not know Lee Dalgety, let me introduce you. He is a South African expat that lives in Middleton with his wife, 2 kids, and 2 dogs. He has hurt Val Kilmer and has been chased with machetes. He has cleaned his tent of baboon dung and has been held by his ankles out of the window of a moving train. He is a man who lives life, he has experienced life, and he loves life. 

He also never talks shit. He hates nobody. He wants to make the world a better place. 

He is my kind of dude, or maybe he is the exact opposite of me. 

I paced Lee last April at the Potawatomi Trail Runs 200. He won that race with a time of 51:23 minutes. He has the course record there and I really doubt anyone is going to be able to break it because the course is a monster and the weather can turn nasty in a moment. We were lucky to have some beautiful days. 

T-Bunk started on Friday and I had to work, so I didn't get out there until he was on loop six. T-Bunk is a loop course and the 200 has you run the same loop 22 times.  I set up his ungodly old tent and sat and waited for him to come through. When he came through, I was feeling out of it, my hip was hurting and I was feeling sullen about some personal issues. Around mile 5, I started feeling better. I started running stronger and when you pace lee you run fast. 

Lee ran each lap consistently, strongly and quickly. Most laps were completed in the 139-145 range and with the exception of the second night. He ran hard. He ran consistent and he ran without complaining. He talked the whole time. We talked about love, life and farts. We smiled as we watched the sunset and laughed at stupid things. We cried about our kids. He asked his wife how she was doing and was worried about my hip. This man ran smart, with compassion and with love.

He was so thankful to everyone. I was able to get a crew of Hank, Paul, Dwight, Jason K, and George. He was not alone from mile 50 on. Each person that finished running with him felt better and smiled harder than when they started the lap with him. I honestly never laughed so hard in a weekend than I did with Lee and his crew. 

I ended up running 5 laps with him, just over 46 miles. My hips loosened up, my spirits were lighter and I was feeling ecstatic. I was screaming every time we ran in and Lee finished with a 44 hour and 32 minute finishing time.

I can only find one faster time on trails in America. It is simply amazing. 

I left that race as I always do after running. I felt connected. Which to me is what running is all about. 

Forced Lee to smile!

Telling him to get going.

Who ran the 200 miles? I bet you can't tell!