RUNNING WITH THE LAND

In this start-up column about running, it seems natural to begin with a look at what it is about this particular sport that makes it so appealing to so many of us. From the title I selected for this column, you can see that being outside is a key feature. Running gets you pounding the pavement or clambering over trails in all kinds of weather. Planning your regular run in winter or summer takes a little ingenuity (attaching slip on cleats for running on ice or remembering to douse your cap and refrigerate it a few hours before a July jaunt) and lots of fortitude. Sometimes, when the wind is howling or the sun is scorching, lacing up your shoes is the hardest part of the run. Still, there’s a real inner satisfaction that comes from facing the elements and knowing that whatever the season, you experience it in a fundamental fashion.

Some runners are so intrigued with the challenge of weather that they seek out extremes. There’s a race called the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race from Badwater in Death Valley (elev. 282 feet below sea level) to a point on Mt. Whitney (elevation 8360). In July. Right, when the temperature goes up to 125 or so and you have to run on the white lines in the road to keep your shoes from melting. This year’s race is set for July 23-25. A documentary movie made about the 2000 Badwater, “Running on the Sun” is available on DVD and provides an inside look at the runners and the race. I’ve seen it, and I’ve met a few runners in my travels who have participated in this event but I still can’t tell you why.

At the opposite end of the pole, quite literally, is the North Pole Marathon, scheduled for March 24, 2008. Technically it’s not run on the land, as it takes place on frozen water, some 6 to 12 feet away from the Artic Ocean. Temps are around –25 to –30C—and there’s a wind-chill. Forty-two people (37 men, 5 women) ran it this year, in April. A contest with an all-expense paid trip to this marathon drew 65 serious contestants, all of whom posted extensive qualifications and begged to be selected. Bobby Bostic, the chosen runner, finished 11th overall with a 5:02 time (winner Thomas Maguire from Ireland did it in 3:36).

Another related and lovely aspect of running is that the outdoors is usually just a door away. You don’t need to find or reserve a field or court or drive to a track or mountain ski lift. This is especially true for we road runners, or “roadies,” as my trail running friends like to call us. This is done with a faintly bemused and just slightly superior air. Trail runners are the true environmentalists/rugged weather aficionados in our sport. They will often drive to some remote area outside of city or town limits where there are few-to-no roads, pull on trail shoes (a different sort of running shoe entirely) and rush off into the woods. Often, they return covered in dirt, ticks, scrapes and huge smiles.

Whereas I find magic in running down a city street in the midst of a gentle snowfall, they hit the ice and snow covered trails through the hills and mountains with glee. Of course, that snow melts in spots so they also revel in mud running. There’s a Vancouver, Canada race called “the Dirty Duo” (it includes mountain biking) with the motto: “It’s ok…mama said I can get dirty.” I know this not because I ran it, but I did hang out for a bit in the Athlete’s Village one year at Boston with the mom of one of the race directors. Yup, she’s the mama. And that’s as close as I’ll get to that race!

I have run a few trails with my running chums, and even a few trail races. These have not been my finest hours, performance-wise (to be kind), but they have been some of the most inspirational. The problem is, I can’t call it “running.” What I do out there is a lot more like fast hiking….and sort of crab-scuttling. Beyond that, you’ll have to get the details from the BH Runners Club