NIETZSCHE WAS WRONG. AGAIN.

Yep, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was wrong. And Cory and I proved it last weekend. Admittedly, Nietzsche has been wrong about a lot of things. Like with his dating advice for impressing the chicks, "You go to woman? Do not forget your whip."

The thing he was wrong about last weekend was his advice, "What does not kill me makes me stronger." Really, Fred? Stronger? Is that why after last weekend's 100 mile race, Cory and I were going through the airport like Walter Brennan on qualudes? It seems to me, Fred, that you fell for the old "fallacy of the excluded middle", meaning that there is a third alternative between "dead" and "stronger"--call it, "beaten down to the last ounce of fortitude."

Or, to put it in other terms, CORY AND I BEAT THAT 100 MILE RACE LIKE IT WAS A RENTED MULE! Yes. We did it. We completed a 100 mile race. With 8 hours to spare. We weren't fast. But we found ourselves passing a lot of the fast guys over the last 40 miles of the race.

One of the tricky parts of a race that long, though, is that with 60 or 70 miles remaining, you have already gone 30 or 40 miles. So you have had body parts get squirrelly on you. You realize, "those toes have developed blisters" or "my shoulders are knotted up and sore" or "I have chaffed in that spot already where Vasaline won't help"or "if I sit down, I won't be able to get back up". And you know these things are going to keep getting worse. To the extent that you can shut out "what's going to happen" and focus on the immediate "I'm only an hour away from a cup of instant coffee", it helps.

For me, at least, the biggest payoff was the last 2 miles. I knew I was going to finish my first 100. I was far faster than I had thought possible. I was still able to run. Other runners who were outbound on the last 10 mile out-and-back were congratulating me as we passed. The sun was just starting to come up. It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful. As close to perfect a moment as I can remember.