Taking a Ride On The Iron Horse Train

Ever been on a roller coaster? I remember riding the Scream Machine at Six Flags when I was younger and once rode it about 10 times in a row with my brother. We would patiently wait in line, then take our seats and have the thrill of our young little lives! It was the big hill, the free falling, the speed, the butterflies in our stomach, the crazy whipping around, the all out screaming that kept drawing us back It was the RIDE that was fun, not the finish.

I just took a fun RIDE... it was on the Iron Horse 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Iron Horse Endurance Run 100K

Man I felt good on race day, I was ready and felt strong! The race started at 7am with a 3 mile out and back on a paved path. There, I was able to see the elite front runners, Mike Morton and Oswaldo Lopez. They seemed to be flying as we crossed paths on the loops throughout the race. It was awesome watching them kick up some dirt with such ease. They were definitely a highlight of my run, and yes... they looped me several times! I felt tension in my hips the first 15-20 miles and just couldn't stretch or relax it out, but I was enjoying the people around me and the beautiful day we were given. The trails were nice and represented Florida's nature wonderfully. I especially liked that the sand/dirt mix was easy on the feet.

After 35 miles of tense hips, the ol' girls just became inflamed and were done. There, I knew my race I so desperately wanted to accomplish and finish well, was not going to happen.

Good lord! I wasn't even at the halfway point!... I cried... felt sorry for myself... I was completely embarrassed... everyone would see me fail.

Then again... it's not all about me. It was about my family and friends rallying together. It was about sticking my neck out there for others to be encouraged to take on big challenges, win or fail. It was about striving to make a difference in the lives of others through running. It was about the $4,000 raised to better the lives of impoverished children.  No... it really wasn't all about me... I was just lucky to be in the seat of this ride.

Endure, relentless forward progress, suck it up back to the loop at mile 50. I was in terrible pain, but if I stopped there I would feel like a quitter... and heck NO I'm no quitter! My awesome crew-man husband, Peter, ran a couple miles with me and we hatched a plan to keep moving to at least get the 100k. My wonderful sister inlaw, Meg, swapped places with Peter and we headed out in the dark to grab a buckle! It was SLOW, painful, SLOW, long, and SLOW... did I mention SLOW... 12 miles out and back. We talked, laughed, and even turned out our headlamps to lie down on the trail and look at the gazillion stars. I loved the experience.

At 65 miles (I went a little longer than the 100k) I crossed that finish line a little disappointed, but knew I gave it my all and had the satisfaction of truly earning that 100k buckle... it wasn't no consolation prize! I was embraced by family and friends with more support than when I approached the starting line. ALL of their encouragement and support went beyond running, it went to the heart. xoxoxo

So, I jumped on this Iron Horse Train and the RIDE with my family and friends was more fun than I could imagine. I'm getting in line to go again... 'cause gosh, darn... rides are fun!

Peace!
Rachel