Some of you might have noticed that I have been a bit scarce of late (or not, who knows? ).

I'm up for tenure this coming spring and I have done just about everything that could reasonably be done to get a positive outcome. Last year was an absolutely slave driven period. But I got my research done, presentations made in Detroit, and got a chance to catch my breath. Nothing to do but wait it out now. The die is cast but the dice aren't finished rolling yet.

So after all of that stress I felt like I needed a physical challenge.

I have wanted to run a trail half-marathon at the local state park since it first came out in 2005. MOF I trained for it for two years straight back in 2010 and 2011.... and I got injured two years straight and never made it to the starting line. This is the same park I learned to swim in, the one I hiked as a teenager, the one I visited almost every time I had a vacation while working all over the country, the one I married my lovely wife in. It has a lot of meaning for me. It is a park that if someone asked to see what southern WV was like before being settled? I'd send them there.

https://gristmillgrinder.com/

So I started training a few months ago. Not just running a few miles to stay in shape, real training. Man have things changed since I started trail running 20 years ago! Gawd. The road over the mountain I live on are perfect for training on hills.... but trying to get enuf flat ground to run an easy run is difficult to impossible. Everything redlines your heart. I don't recover as quickly as I used to. I'm terrified of getting injured again. But I have to train hard enough to make a respectable showing this coming April.

Here's some numbers: 12.5 miles on dirt and rock. 2100' of vertical gain. 57 years of age. 236 pounds. 1 completely severed Achilles tendon in my history which has made me terribly injury prone in my right leg.... I live with a calf and hamstring just waiting for an excuse to get strained.

Can it be done? I really don't know. I ran half of it a few weeks ago... took over an hour and a half. It was tough.

I'll keep you updated over the next few months and let you know how it is going.

Will