Here is the deal about Pistol Hill. Kevin made me ride up this road during my early days of riding and I was in tears on the side of the road ready to quit riding all together. It is the kind of hill that just goes on forever with no real end in sight. We just kept going up and up and up. It was windy, I hadn't figured out my nutrition yet and I was absolutely miserable. It was before I started to do blogs and I wrote a long story about it on Facebook or an email, can't remember. It ended with Kevin making our ride a little shorter and promising me there was a Walgreens we could go to and I could get a Snicker's Bar. I truly believed my ride on Pistol Hill that day took me to Heaven and God gave me a Snicker's Bar. I have never ridden that ride route again. Seeing that it was on the course for the 50 miler, I have been nervous about it. Dreading it even. To add to it, on the course elevation for the race it is depicting one of the worst areas of the race.
But, training is not meant to be easy, it is meant to be hard to push you to your limits and make you stronger. Kevin really likes to make us stronger in his planning of runs.
A couple weeks ago he said, for our Pistol Hill run I have an idea. He made sure I was sitting down and had a glass of wine in hand. He said, because I am going to be working crazy shifts from 5 pm to 3 am, why don't we run as soon as I get off of work. He said this and had two sticky notes in his hands of what he thought I would say to that suggestion. First one said, Yeah we can do that and the second one said, Are you f-ing crazy? If you thought I said the second one, you were wrong, I said yes. We have been wanting to get a night run in and this would be perfect because for this part of the course we will be in darkness. Then a few days later he said, I have an idea. How about we do the Pistol Hill run and then drive over and join the weekly Sunday run with RWB in the Saguaro National Park East. Sigh, yes we can do that. So the plan was 8 miles at both. Plan.
The night before I got everything ready as I could since I would be waking very early for us to run. Very early. Kevin has a trainee officer with him now, so there was a possibility he would be late, but I wanted to make sure I was up and getting everything ready to go. So this is when I set my alarm.
As suspected, his trainee was going to make him late, further some jackass was shooting guns in the desert so he couldn't come home yet. I was still awake. I ate, laid on the couch and watched TV until he came home. He walked in the door and said 5 minutes and we will go. Off we went, it was 5 am.
I am not mad because he got stuck at work, he has a vitally important job as a police officer and training new officers and these things happen. I was hoping it wasn't some omen for the day though. I knew how tired he was, he had barely 4 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours and that was what was worrying me.
Other things that worried me of course was poop. I didn't go until right before we left the house. This was poop #1, aka p-1. As a runner, the bowels have to be right and in order, or it is a long day.
We got out to Pistol Hill and when we turned off the interstate the ground was wet from rain? We didn't pack rain gear or warm gear. We got to the dirt road where if we continued riding that fateful day we would have ended up here. Kevin got a picture of the sign, looking pretty ominous.
About 30 feet onto the road, p-2 happened.
We weren't completely sure where the trailhead would begin so we just kept an eye out until we came upon it. It looks very out in the middle of nowhere which is how it felt too. I laughed because Kevin said where should I park, umm anywhere doesn't seem to be anyone out here.
I didn't know it but he took a pic of this sign for eggs, wonder if they deliver?
We took our pre-run selfie of here we are and what we look like if you need to find us. It was pretty chilly but knew it would warm up once we got going. The gps on the watch was struggling for a signal with the overcast skies too.
Off we went and man was it absolutely gorgeous. When I have to go to a happy place in my mind, this is it. It was cool out, there was the smell of rain in the air, desert plants blooming everywhere, the trail winding its way downhill and it was glorious. I felt like a spring bunny in a field of carrots.
Kevin however felt less like a bunny more like a prisoner in a torture camp. He was feeling okay until we made the turn around to come back up the trail. (what goes down, goes up) I still felt like a bunny. He wanted to kill the bunny (me) several times. We were like Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny out there.
Speaking of bunnies, we got the rare occasion to see jack rabbits, a lot more sightings then we ever had before. Kevin said it is really rare to see two together.
The scenery was so beautiful. I am so happy we did this in the light of day and on an overcast day to appreciate it. We kept seeing these plants of white that I renamed snow drops. They were really pretty.
We came across a couple of these water drop places too, which we didn't mess with of course.
Along the way I had p-3. Kevin had time to take pictures.
We had to go through several gates along the way which made us wonder if for the race will they open these for us? A couple of these gates are hard to open and after many miles of fatigue they could cripple us into the fetal position.
Then we came upon this stinky area of murky water. Wouldn't recommend drinking it. On the course instructions it said there is a limited water station, ummm hope this isn't it. We saw a lot of different areas on this run including an area that was a forest like area and another that looked like a meadow. Maybe it was meant to happen in the daylight to appreciate it.
We came up to another area where another grand idea/decision was made. We saw that Hope camp was up ahead and that seemed a logical turn around point and where they may have an aide station. Okay let's do that. With that decision, 8 turned to 9.3 miles. Which brings me to a very important point, no decisions should be made going downhill or uphill ever.
We got to Hope camp and it was interesting. This is where things got a little rough. Kevin had been running behind me so I didn't know the struggles he was experiencing. He was having a BOB. Battle of Boogers. Running ain't pretty. He had a wee bit of crusty going on and I simply said you have a booger and wiped at my nose to demonstrate said removal of booger. He said very angry, I know I have been dealing with it for the last three miles and I can't get rid of it. Honey, would you like a tissue? Yes. Out came the toilet paper. I packed a roll just for simplicity. I usually only pack a few tissues....those wouldn't have made it. It made me laugh for how angry he was at a booger. He just couldn't shake it off. I happened to have p-4 shortly thereafter.
I was feeling pretty great still. Like a bunny. But, Elmer back there was not. I would walk so he could walk. I would look back to see if he was there because I couldn't hear his foot steps. I being of not of the mathematically inclined couldn't come up with how much further Hope camp added and thought to look at my watch--which started late after we were running and the number was off and I called out to Kevin, hang in there honey we are at 7.3 miles, we are almost there. This is where cute Elmer Fudd turned into a psychotic mad man--I was a little thankful I could run faster right now. Kevin however was critically aware that we had to get to 9.2 miles to finish and he said, "I don't want to hear a 7, I have been avoiding looking at Strava because I didn't want to see a 7!!!!" I then gingerly and carefully pulled out the phone with Strava and said, after making sure it had an 8, that we had 8.5 miles done and almost there. He didn't say anything. I think he was planning my death but he was too tired to catch me. Felt bad that I felt like a cute fluffy bunny. He was dreading that each checkpoint took so long and I felt like oh hey we are here already....
I tried to distract him with hey look at this pretty flower.
Along the way he said, I don't have it in me to do 8 more miles. No decisions on hills!!
We finally finished and this picture says it all. I felt super and ready to run 8 more. He did not.
I may or may not have sulked a wee bit in the truck on the way to the Park. I made him drink and eat and he told me, you can run the 8 and I will just hang out in the visitors center...or maybe I will just go with you to the 3 mile picnic ground spot and you are on your own. He later told me I gave him this sad face that our dog Snickerdoodle gives and he changed his direction some.
We got the Park and we saw the RWB group just finishing up. Green Cawood makes elk burritos for all the new people who do the loop and they gave us two. I sent a message we wouldn't make the start time of 7 am due to the late start so I was very happy I got to see them finish. Here is a photo of the group.
When we got there we were going to do the 3 mile then Kevin changed his mind and said lets just walk it and go backwards, in the opposite direction then we usually go. Not walking backwards which his Dad thought we did. We decided to go the opposite direction to avoid this huge hill on the back side which is really steep. This may go down in history as a terrible decision of all time. What seemed to leave our minds was that there are a lot of downhill portions going the normal way, going backwards plenty of UP. I tried to see if Kevin would run just the downhill part and he made it 30 feet. No more running, so we walked the 8 miles instead. Which is still great training because it is time on our feet. We still maintained a solid 16 min walking pace.
Out there over 8 miles in the park, p-5 through p-8 happened. I seriously think someone slipped me some coloneze or something. I was thankful I packed a roll of tp because wow.
Over the course I heard pretty much every excuse known to man from Kevin.
A thorny branch hit his leg, my shin is broken. My elbows hurt. My knees hurt in places they never hurt before. Maybe a car will take me out. I can't walk anymore. I am dizzy. I can't see. Here is a plan....he had an idea to have me offer to help a person by taking a pic of them by a Saguaro and he would jump in their car with the keys in it so he could drive away. He said more then once, can you just go get the car? My joints hurt. My head hurts. My mouth hurts. My eyes hurt. It was pretty rough. The classic, I am going to fake a heart attack and they will send an "avalanche", meaning an ambulance to come and get him. We did see some helicopters fly over and he waved a distress signal to come get him and they flew over away from us, he called them jerks. (Remember this was all his idea)
We finally broke out the camera and took some photos.
First are the ones of "Benjamin's Ridge" as Green named it from our Memorial run from February. He did the loop with RWB and renamed it that day and calls it that since then. He said it brings him strength every time he pushes up that steep hill.
We saw a little baby Saguaro growing which was cute.
Then I saw a stick moving and we saw it was a snake, a gopher snake which was pretty big. A bike rider stopped to look at it with us too. The snake will pretend to rattle like a rattle snake to fend off predators, he was making his noise, pretty impressive.
Upon a return from p-5 through p-8, not sure what one, I found Kevin sitting here waiting on a ride or something. He looked rather content.
Then we came to this. As we approached, Kevin said, I love you very much but something really bad is about to happen. Really bad. This damn hill is awful hard to run down and now we were going to go up it. Dumb idea.
At the top there was this Cholla cactus that looked like either a cross where others have died or someone cheering us on.
We saw this sign and said it should have added and dead runners...
Then Kevin all excited said, wait stop and whispers Look. I said at what? He thought it was another Queen of the Night cactus. No honey, just a stick. Why he whispered I have no idea.
He complained I was walking too fast on many occasions. I was getting lighter and lighter as it went on so, I was still bunny like.
We finally finished and he said we should walk further to where the sign at the entrance is. Further. Okay. So we got our final photo in and we finished up with 18 miles. Btw, he said on a couple occasions, if we do the loop twice it will be a marathon for today....he was kidding of course.
The truck was a mess.
All in all what was learned from the adventure....always bring a roll of tp because you never know. Training makes you stronger. Appreciate the small things. Be thankful. I was thinking how many other married couples could go through what we do together. Very often I am the grumpy and negative one and he always pulls me through. Sometimes though, I need to pull him through. It is what makes us stronger and closer as a couple. I couldn't imagine having as much fun out there without him. As hard as it was for us, we find a way to push through it all together. I have told many people we are doing a 50 miler for our Anniversary and they think it is nuts, for us it is perfect. I see no greater gift then him wanting to spend at least 15 grueling hours with me trudging out 54 official miles on the Arizona Trail. Marriage is about through the good times and bad, sickness and health etc. We experience all that in every run we do. I have to attribute some of my amazing feeling to going to the chiropractor. I haven't felt that good in such a long time. No heel pain, my legs were a little sore but nothing crazy like 18 mile legs should feel like.
I did our weekly grocery shop and prepared my weekly lunch and breakfast meals. While at the store I saw this and said we should have one of these. We had a soak in Kevin's Dad's hot tub afterwards which was delightful.
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Our next adventure will either be 13-14 miles out on Pistol Hill or a run in Phoenix for a conference we are attending. Still planning it out. Thank you for all your support and following our journey.
I will end with a little quote, "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough" Og Mandino
Every day we choose to live our lives to the fullest and not sit back and watch life go by. Challenge yourselves to be your best version of you and live it up!! Until next time, happy bunny hopping trails to you.
