Dirty German 50 Mile Trail Ultra - May 26, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA
Nine months after surviving my medical nightmare and three surgeries, I attempted the Dirty German 50. I needed to know I could still do the distance. It was a beautiful cool spring day in May. I was feeling pretty good at the 8:00 am start.
I was feeling strong at about mile 11. Along the way, I came across God's creatures: a beautiful fox scurrying across the trail, a horsie galloping on the trail, and a lot of doggies going for a beautiful Sunday morning stroll.
Feeling pretty good approaching the mile 18 cut off, I was ready to run a second 15.5 mile loop. Approaching mile 26.5. I had 1 hr and 30 minutes to finish 8.5 miles on the tough terrain and across a creek to meet the 8 hr/35 mile cutoff. I may be crazy, but I am sensible and realistic. While I was mentally strong, my still healing body was not strong enough to meet the cut-off time. I graciously withdrew. Each ultra is a humbling experience. Now, it was on to the next ultra. I continued to train and signed up for the TARC 100 miler. A few weeks before the event, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and put on Methotrexate and Plaquenil. The TARC 100 was my first DNS (did not start).
I am also the author of Come What May, I Want to Run: A Memoir of the Saving Grace of Ultrarunning in Overwhelming Times. Read excerpts, praise, and reviews, and order the book here from the publisher, Amazon, Bookshop, or Barnes & Noble. My Dirty German 50 journey is one of many ultramarathon experiences that weaves through my memoir.
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