Cheryl Shows No Mercy

I'd had this run with Cheryl scheduled, and postponed for a week. So I was going out on Tuesday despite the Monday run. My hanai nephew David was in town and needed to hit the trails two so I figured it would be a good time to take him out too.

Well, I wanted to run Hogsback, figuring I'd stay with Cheryl the rest of the way. So, I split fast after crossing the Nature Center bridge, and left Cheryl tying her shoe....ultra runners show no mercy. I pushed up Hogsback, breathing hard, feeling yesterdays 20 and trying to make something of the attempt. David was lingering behind me and I knew he was just waiting to pounce. Young Punks, you can always tell what they are up to. The trick it to wear 'em out or out fox 'em. 15+ minutes up Hogsback makes either a bit of a challenge with somebody who has done HURT loops, Ultra wierdness, and organized mayhem. But I was into trying to leave David sucking air. I tried all the standard tricks, running where nobody should run, striding up the steepest steeps, skipping over the roots, and even reverse psychology like breathing hard and gagging when it wasn't necessary. I couldn't shake him. Finally, after waiting to the last fifty yards, I just started sprinting. The Punk was just too aware, and he passed me five yards from the top. Hey, he's my nephew, so I didn't kick his ass for the insult. 'Goo Jaw Brahhh' I gasped at the top, meaning every word. My onlysatisfaction is that it was a 17 and much slower than yesterdays 15.

We turned around and found Cheryl down below Tree Forts, just above The Dark Side. Joining in with her the energy seemed to change. I was out ahead and playing around abit, but when we got to the top Cheryl took off and never looked back. David was busy enjoying himself on the trails, and anyway he'd showed the 'old man' that he still had it. Cherly was intent on kicking my asss for leaving her behind. And suddenly, without notice, the heroic statis that I had felt so entitled to for the previous day's PR, just evaporated. I was just a duffer chasing Cheryl down the Staricases towards Mountain Apples, then up along Twisters towards Bad Bushes, and back down Shorts.

Sometimes it it better to just get your assed kicked. I had a good run, didn't kill myself, and had some time to talk with Cheryl and David as we moved up the trails. Not every day is a PR, and quite frankly, some days just aren't meant to be.