"It Could Affect Your Judgment"

I haven't written anything on this blog since the Leadville Race, and with good reason. I've been sulking. The race was mean to me. Yes, it was. Expecting me to do all that hiking and climbing and running. Not willing to take my word for it, that I could do it, but had too many other important things to do to actually do it.

So, I came back to Indy and began a new plan, on how I was going to train so much better and be such much faster next year that Leadville would be begging my forgiveness. Starting with running a good 50 mile race in Texas at the end of October, and continuing to race longer races at faster paces until even the Kardashians would say, "No, no, let's not talk about us--let's talk some more about that Dobson guy!"

Well, you know what my favorite philosopher, Mike Tyson, says about plans. Or, if you don't, take a look at my October 22, 2010 post. And, like many other geniuses, Mike's wisdom stands up to the test of time. Because here's what my plan earned me:

The race started at 5:30am and about 11 miles into the race, while it was still dark, I showed that rocky, hilly trail who was boss. Yeah, I showed it, all right. I really showed--that it was the boss, by bouncing my head off of one of its rocks.

4 miles later I reached the next aid station, where the race personnel made me stop. Well, they made me stop long enough to take the picture on the right. Then they sent me on my way, after telling me how annoying my whining was becoming.


The picture on the left was at 25 miles, when I let them "force" me to stop. It was at that point that the doctor warned me about the danger of a concussion, emphasizing "It could affect your judgment." If she hadn't had the ultimate leverage--free pain meds--I would have suggested, "Take a close look at me, doc. How could you think I had any judgment before my fall?!"


Anyway, that was 3 weeks ago, and I am a reformed and reasonable runner now. No more ultras. No more trail races. No more falling down. Well, except that Cory wants to do a 50K trail run in December. And it would be just downright unneighborly not to run that with him. And he is talking about a 100 mile trail race in February. And that's such a bad idea, that I have to enter the race with him, to protect him from himself. And, of course, the Leadville Race still needs to cry "Uncle" to me. But, other than that, I'm rigid in my resolve. No More Crazy Races!