Barkley Blunder
I failed. Badly. Even though I had a guaranteed slot into the Barkley Marathons, I managed to miss my golden opportunity. Now I need to spend a minimum of a year, and perhaps a lifetime, before I have a second chance.
Backstory
It stung seeing my name on the unofficial results from the 2022 Barkley Marathons, knowing I failed to even make it to the start.
Only 40 credible runners are allowed to race at the Barkley Marathons. My resume is far less credible than the world-class athletes that gain entry. I entered the Barkley Fall Classic (BFC) for the sole reason to vie for the win to guarantee a means into the Big Barkley, the only way I stood a chance for entry. I managed, with some luck, to nab the win (read more about my experience here).
The past year of racing has been a rollercoaster - two DNFs, two wins, and my worst ultra race of my life.
What I didn’t share was I barely slept the two nights before the BFC or the night following due to a series of bad luck. Two nights before the race I had to drive farther than expected, and I didn’t get a chance to sleep until 1 am. Then I was plagued (literally) by mice scampering and rummaging through my race pack. The night before the race, I had finally calmed down to get some shut eye and was awakened by someone setting up their tent (loudly) next to mine. I dozed on and off the remainder of the night. I frequently sleep poorly after races since my body aches so badly I can’t get comfortable. Yet I managed the 12 hour drive home solo. The trip put me way behind on everything at home. It wasn’t until November I finally felt caught up. Yet it was worth it.
No guarantees
The first thought that entered my mind when I realized I had squandered my opportunity into the Barkley Marathons was, “God is showing me who’s in control.” Even what I thought was a guarantee, I lost. Nonetheless, missing out on this opportunity followed by the worst race in my ultra career (read about it here), forced me to not take pride in myself. Rather I recalibrated to not make my identity solely as a runner.
Getting in some spring navigation practice.
Making amends
Failure is near guaranteed at the Barkley, so this blunder provides me the opportunity to grapple with overcoming my failure. As a result, I have been working on improving at the 2022 BFC , currently my lone ultra race for 2022. I am studying topographic maps and practicing my navigation skills so if I’m not dependent on the knowledge of another racer. I have planned two visits to Frozen Head State Park between now and September to familiarize myself with the area, rather going in blind like I did last year.
I also learned last year the hard way that I can’t maintain focus with multiple races close together (I had my first ever DNF six weeks prior to BFC, followed by another DNF the week before BFC). With no other ultras, I can focus on training for Frozen Head, with lots of vertical by regularly training at Rib Mountain State Park’s ski slopes.
Be sure to follow this blog as I provide an updates, including next week on training at Frozen Head State Park! Where better for a moron to be on April Fool’s Day!
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