2003 Turkey Trot 5K:
"g", Iron Al and the Hat make their 5K debut with Whiskey Tottin' (L.).

2003

Sandwiched between a backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park with his daughters (7/03) and a backcountry trip to Rocky Mountain National Park with the Boys (8/03), "g" learned he had a blockage to his heart. In response to this problem "g" began medication therapy and electrified his exercise program. He quickly transitioned 3 years of randomly running 1-2 miles on a treadmill at the Y to a steady 60 minute aerobic workout 6 days a week.

It was mid-October ('03) when "g" received the coolest little running aide (a cardiac stent) and three weeks later when he decided to enter his first 5K on Thanksgiving morning (Troy Turkey Trot, NY). Of course, "g" had never run 3.1 miles, so he figured he'd better step off the ol' treadmill and onto the Y's indoor track for a test jog.

After completing the Turkey Trot, "g" exercised his self-impose right to brag about this huuugggge accomplishment: I ran a 5K... I ran 5K... I'm gonna run another 5K! (No matter where he went...) I ran a 5K! (It became real annoying.)

"g" was very satisfied with himself. His stent was doing it's thing and his health had never been better. He had mastered the art of running a 5K in one event! He couldn't believe he had reached the apex of his running career in so little time. He was great. He was a hero in his own little world. He was at the top of his game. He was the 5K King! He was now... a runner.

January 2004

One day in January, when he least expected it... a nondescript, small box wrapped in brown paper was delivered to his doorstep. It was from his sister-in-law, Jeannie. The whole thing was peculiar. He had never received a parcel from her.

With restrained curiosity and puzzlement he unwrapped and opened the box. He carefully shuffled through the packing material and layers of stuff. The first envelope he came to read, open me first! It was a card.

The front of the card had a drawing of a school of gold fish. On the inside it read, Go with the flow. The half marathon flow, that is. Yes the count down has begun to your next great challenge - the Adirondack Half Marathon on Sept. 26th. 2004 [It was January 15th!] You have already been registered along with your slow as a snail sister-in-law...

Immediately following the thrill of a new challenge came the smash-in-your-face terror about running 13.1 miles! "g" felt weak in the knees... and, everywhere else! A 5K is enough of a miracle distance for anyone to run... but... 13 miles? thought "g".

"g" continued to rummage through the box. He found recently expired running magazines, Jeannie's old MP-3 loaded with music from her last marathon, articles and a book by J. Galloway on marathon training, a bunch of her favorite GU gels, and some additional paraphernalia designed to soothe "g's" terror about running a half marathon and to motivate him to get running!

You need to understand something. "g" never had a desire to run. Never! Being the 5K King was a grand enough accomplishment. After all, running an occasional 3.1 miles to get a cool T-shirt and to maintain his bragging rights as 5K King was a pretty cool thing. But now, he was clearly in trouble... he couldn't turn down this challenge. But, 13 miles? A quick calculation resulted in the mind-boggling realization about having to occupy his mind for at least two and half hours while running somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains! What would he think about? That's a lot of dead space to fill in with thinking! Occupying his thoughts for a 30-minute 5K was hard enough! But... 13.1 miles? "g" was definitely in trouble. Big trouble.

Six Months Later

Months had passed since the inauguration of the half marathon concept. "g" was no loonger terrified by the notion of 13.1 miles. He had been running regularly in his community. He read everything about training for a half marathon. He learned what an MP-3 player was and filled his gizmo with all sorts of sound. He became fixated on the magazine shelf at Borders and waited hours on end for the next issue of Runners World to arrive! (On more then one occasion he was escorted into the street by Border's security.) He was hooked... "g's" longest run crept up from 3 to 5 miles... then his first 10K... then his first 10 miles... and, along the way he learned one very important lesson ... runners do make better backpackers!

So that's the hook, ladies and gentlemen. G-WeB proudly invites you to follow the Jogging LaBellas, the Hat in running shoes, and those Misfits on Ridge Lines... as they try not to hurt themselves (too much) in:

Runners Make Better Backpackers