The Huff 50K

Published December 28, 2019

Late Christmas surprise. Midweek holiday inspired my employer to give the remainder of the week with pay. Thanks PS! Too late to extend family stays (U.S. airlines are unforgiving) – but plenty of time to schedule one last December run, last of the decade.

Chain O’ Lakes State Park. 2 ½ hours from Indianapolis, 4 from Chicago. Trail in December, ultra distance. And a prior DNF fail? the Huff in rural Indiana. Sign me up!

Friday nite touchdown. Indy airport hotel. 3am alarm. Toughest part… staying awake. Notta lotta traffic pre-dawn in Hoosier land. Two years ago, sub-zero temps & knee-deep snow. This year… overcast skies, thermometer-read hovered above freezing.

Trailhead parking FULL. Crazy tight 15 minutes ‘til race Start.

Dash to the registration tent. Bib pick-up. Two 25k laps. Secured a memorable place for my drop bag. Dry shoes, shirt, second beanie. Socks. Similar to Bighorn fails, 2017’s Huff DNF inspired a laundry list of run needs, should ever I come back to Albion, Indiana.

Race number pinned to a favourite pair of sweats. Speech eulogizing a local track coach. BAM — we’re off. Roots, rock, HILLS. Real trail. Not the crushed gravel at Tunnel Hill, U.S. athletes use to set world ‘trail’ standards.

3 hour 15 first loop. 10-minute tent-change. Dry clothes. Broth. Hydration fill. Rush, rush. Hurry, hurry, hurry. 25k was where I ended 2017. FRIGID that day. And…I’m off.

Upbeat. Plugged in. Ear buds readied, music all second half. No time goal – just get it done. HILLS looked way higher than my first lap. LOL> Physically tough course.

Mile-half to finish. More cloud. Rain to snow, starting at 4pm. Bone cold. Pretzels, oranges, hot soup. Time at the infamous HUFF Couch. No mo’ tunes (cold battery).

36^th finish of 2019 – a personal record. BELT BUCKLE GLORY.

8^th ultra of the year (double my lifetime tally). Third in the great state of Indiana. Life-changing DECADE of RUN MEMORIES. Appropriate end today. 7 hour SAGA.

Only 4 days away… 2020. Twenty-TWENTY. WOW!

I see a TEXAS-sized FINISHER medal in my New Year’s Day future 😀