Half-Wit Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Three other BRRC members (Luke Brandonisio, Bart Rein, and Andrew Wirtz) and I headed up to Reading PA on Sunday, 16 August to tackle the Half-Wit Half Marathon. This was our second PA trail half-marathon this year as we completed the Charlie Horse in May.
The race description described the HW as "a tuff but doable race for those with more guts than brains" that included "a gaggle of rocks & roots, serious climbs & loose rock descents, trees across trails, urban relics like the "128 Steps from Hell", and memorable aide stations". As it turns, all were true. (Note, the full race description is very amusing and well worth reading the whole thing ... juts google half-wit half.)
As usually happens when I run these type of races I wonder why am I doing this. This was no exception, and these were my exact thoughts when the alarm went off at 5am on a Sunday morning. But forced myself up, drove to Bart's and then we all headed up to PA in his truck. Nothing eventful at the start as we got there in plenty of time, picked up numbers, shirts etc, and did the usual business before the race started.
As is the norm for trail races the HW was late starting. A little after the starting time of 9am, the race director Ron Horn (Pretzel City Sports) started giving the pre-race briefing. As well as the usual description of trail markers and intelligence of those who turn when there is not a flag, this included Ron leading us in the Oath of a Half Wit. It started with "I am a moron. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. ... " and got worse from there. Ron has a great sense of humor, and this set the tone for the whole race.
Then we were off. Andrea had moved closer to the front before the start, and she was off running. Bart, Luke and I stayed towards the back and started at a gentler pace. The first mile of so was very slow, as 400+ runs made their way through single track trails. But this was fine with me as I was planning to take it very slow. I have been told that you should always have several goals for your races. My first goal was to make it further than I did in last week's Bunker Hill trail run (1/4 mile before encounter with 4 bees caused an early stop). My more challenging goal was to finish it in a steady pace, and not aggravate any of my existing niggling injuries (or cause any new ones). If all went very well, I was hoping to participate in some of the activities in the "memorable aid stations". Note, time does not appear in any of these goals.
Most of the course was single track, and although the first mile was fairly tame it wasn't long before we were encountering the promised hidden roots, loss rocks, down trees, and very steep descents and ascents. From mile 3 to 6 there were several very steep descents that we impossible to run, including one where you had to cling to the trees to prevent a very rapid, painful descent. There was one flat piece, but it wasn't really a trail just rocks and roots covered by leaves. Just after this I caught up to Luke (around mile 2 Bart, Luke, and I got separated ... well nice way to say they dropped me), and we ran/walked together for next few miles.
After all these descents, and only a few ascents, we knew we would pay for it. And sure enough the next few miles includes the 128 steps from hell (a series of steps that went straight up a hillside / cliff ... I don't know if there was actually 128 of them as didn't have the energy to count them). I was still feeling OK so pushed on and Luke dropped back a little. Caught up with Bart soon after, and he and I ran the rest together. The hills were not over, and soon after the 128 step there was a climb up the "worst hill" on the course. If we didn't know that the climb was bad, the race director had left signs to tell us. At several places through the course there were series of amusing signs, some related to the course ("trail", "what trail?") but others irrelevant things to entertain ("Why is the half-wit like Paula Abdul" followed by "It doesn't make any sense").
Around 8 miles we passed back through an earlier water stop, and told only around 5 miles to go. Another runner equated this to 20 laps around a track (which didn't seem to make it easier to me). There was a little down hill on the road then back onto the single tracks, and the first stop with an alternative beverage (Yuengling). The course twice passed through a combined water/beer stop, and included awards for most beers consumed on the course, and finishing under 3 hrs. I was not up for this competition (and the winner had 20!) but was hot/brave enough to have one. It tasted very nice, but I was a little nervous about how would feel a mile down the trail as this was my first time "drinking" while running.
There was a 3 mile out and back from the water/beer stop, and part of this was 2 way traffic on single track. But wasn't too bad as those walking up hill were glad to step aside for the faster runners heading home (these included Andrea). We knew this 3 mile loop would include some extra challenge, and sure enough at around mile 11 there was brutal climb straight up a hill (where were the steps here?). But after this knew it was a relatively easy 2 miles to the finish.
Back through the water/beer stop at mile 12 and another Yuengling (no such thing as one beer). It tasted even better than the first. From there it was a nice easy trot to the finish, although took a wrong turn less than 500 yards from the finish, and the runners behind did not yell the required abuse at us to tell us of our mistake.
Bart and I finished in just over 2hr 50, Andrea had finished 30 minutes earlier and was there to cheer us on, and Luke finished around 5 minutes later. Then time to clean up, consume some food and drink, and exchange stories. The finish was at a German Sports Club, and there was the option to purchase more alternative beverages. A dunkel weissbier (German dark wheat beer) was the perfect way to top off a very enjoyable day.
The 4 half-wits all finished with no serious injuries (a few tumbles but that is required) and agreed that is was a very challenging but fun course. There was some discussion about whether this or the Charlie Horse was more challenging. The HW took longer, but the CH seemed tougher (with its longer climbs, mud-pits, boulder scrambles, and water crossings). Either way both are great runs that are well organized and well worth the trip to PA.
The one last question is whether one is a half-wit to do this once, or a true half-wit has to return to do it again. I guess we can discuss this after next years race.