Passed the test

Photo by
Eric Engman, Fairbanks Daily News Miner

Of course, the fact that at mile two, prior to peeing in the woods, I accidentally jumped into a spruce bog and immediately soaked both of my feet didn’t help to contribute positively in any way to my Two-Way Torture experience. And the continuous hill from mile three to mile six didn’t really help either. Nor did the fact that there were only two water stations during the entire 13.1 mile run. Or that the direction I was going around the Chena Ridge meant running on the sunny and hot side of the road most of the the time.

But what did help is the hill work I’d done prior to the race. It made the three-mile hill very feasible and I motored up with focus and a steady pace. I also brought my own water with me so I stayed hydrated. And I started slow, like a tortoise, so that by mile eleven I was basically on fire. And at the end, since he finished 15 minutes before me, my partner joined me for the last 1/2 mile of my race. That really helped. Of course, the best part was when it was done!

So I have earned the right to tell everyone that I passed the Two-Way Torture Test. And now that it’s over I can say that I would definitely do that again, minus the spruce bog. And while I accomplished my goal of finishing in under two hours, I can still walk today. That’s always a plus.