I love running through the mountains in the dark. There is something to having the world reduced to the 20-30 ft of glow on the trail in front of you and a huge starry sky overhead. But running mountain trails alone in the dark comes in degrees of intensity for me. Starting in the dark and knowing it will be light when I finish the run is a piece of cake and regular fare. Starting in the light and knowing it will be after dark when I finish is a little more intense, (or freaky) starting in the middle of the night and knowing you are doing a solo long run to a remote mountain top and back is always high on the intense/freaky scale. Its always really hard to step out of the truck at a trailhead in the dark, turn on the lights and head off alone into the black knowing it will be more black and more alone when you return.
With the higher degree of freak, comes a higher degree of reward. Last night's Ben Lomond run will no doubt go down in memory as one of the best of the summer. Running alone in the dark across high mountain ridges definatly tunes up your senses. Knowing I'm out 7-8 miles from the nearest person tends to make me pay attention. Being on the peak at 1:30 AM was serene. No wind at all, totally silent, watching lightening storms way out west of the GSL and far off to the east, meteors streaking across the sky and a bright half moon lighting up the surrounding peaks. I signed the register and noted the time. Under my name I wrote a hello to a friend I knew would be up there arond 7:30.
Only one notiable animal encounter. About a mile from the peak a big mountain goat walked out on the trail about 30 feet in front of me. He stood there acros the trail, looking at me and not moving. The stand off went on for a bit too long and next thing I know I'm talking to him, "sooo, are you going to move, or what?" "don't make me huck a rock your direction" Nothing. Fianlly I turned out my lights, and he was off, full sprint up the trail.
If you are wondering why the middle of the night? well first, out of schedual necessity (my wife and 10 year old were entered in a triathlon Saturday morning and wife and I needed a night out together Saturday night equals no time for a long run. On the tri reuslts, I'm happy to report they both came home with hardware, wife 3rd place age group, 10 yr old 3rd place overall in the kids tri out of what had to have been 150 kids competing. It was awesome to watch that kid get after it. He swam like a pro, tranistioned like he had been doing it for years, and ran down the only runner in front of him, made papa very proud! And I don't think my wife has ever come home from a triahlon without a place medal, made hubby proud again) second, the adventure of it, 3rd, 100 miler training. I need a couple more good night runs like that to tune me up for the Bear 100 in September.
Run stats: 16 miles, 4000 vert. Day started at 6:00 AM, worked 10.5 hours, run start time 11:30 PM, Peak 1:25 AM, car 3:10 AM, bed 3:45 AM. Sleep of the dead unitl 6:45 AM.
Last two week totals: 138 miles, 28,500 vert, most of it over 8000 ft in elevation. Add in 50-55 hour work weeks each week on top of it, and well, I (and they) needed a little family time today. | 