10% out of your reach

It is easy to blog and wax philosophically after completion of a tough trail event. The author is still hypoglycemic and unable (unwilling) to appreciate the current state of soreness having accomplished something 10% harder than they thought they could.
This one is no different.
Thus started the 2007 version of the Junior Falcons’ Mountain Run.
Looking through old photos, I think we’ve been doing something along these lines since Gene Reilly departed as coach. From 1993 until 2002, we would do a run through a local park that just happened to have a long and difficult soft sand incline known to the veterans as ‘the sand pit’. The rationale for such an event is to provide a ‘shared experience’ of such a challenge as to allow every player to feel at least one moment during the task where ‘they might not be able to complete it’, yet not have it be beyond their physical capacity.
By doing this, a collection of teenaged males have *something* that they can reflect to that they share when they feel (as all do) that no one understand the situation that they are experiencing. They all at least shared the ups and downs of that day.
The ‘anchor’.
The 2007 edition was on a day with a forecast of hazy, hot and humid with strong afternoon thunderstorms. For once, the forecast was right on. Plus, bear hunting was in full effect for 5 days. This provided some strict parameters for the event.
It was too hot and humid for me to try what I did in previous editions ~ run from one end to the other prior to the players going assuring that the trail was in good condition and setting up small tasks along the way. I simply don’t recover that quickly from the 3Hs anymore. It couldn’t start too early as the state lands were not officially ‘open’ nor hunters done for the morning. It could not start too late for risk of being on an exposed ridge in an electrical storm.
All this was done plus trying to assure that 20 teenaged males get from one end to the other safely from the physical task alone.
The group broke up into two groups along the course and I again played the part of the running ‘sag wagon’. I would have liked to complete the course somewhat quicker, but you take what you get. A day on the trail is still better than a day almost anywhere else.
In the end, they did complete the course (although two needed to depart the trail at the ONLY point on the 4.5 mile course where it is possible) and we had our team meeting to discuss team and personal goals.
And once again, we went down the 2.2 mile exit from the range as a team. Total distance was about 6.7 miles although the players may debate that.
Now the Sunday morning question: How many more of these do I have in my system?
There was much consternation even this summer if I could pull this off this year. It isn’t the physicality of the event ~ although I am sore, I may go for a long run / race the day after. It is the prior planning, the frightening, blissful ignorance of the participants, the work associated with the experience.
I feel my passion for this stuff waning in the last few years.
It seems to be 10% out of my reach.
This question will have to remain unanswered for a few more months at least. For now, revel in the success of this year’s event. Pack for the second week of dry land, get the skates out for my son’s hockey practice and get ready for work.
And consider a long slow trail run for later today.