Sub 24

.....I'm running down a single track trail, it's foggy, and I'm getting closer to the finish line.  I run up a hill, then as I start a long rolling downhill the fog clears and I see the finish line.  My pace starts to pick up and the finish line gets closer and closer.  I can't think of what event I'm running, but I'm almost done.  I hit the finish line at max effort and hit the stop button on my Garmin. 

I hear someones voice shout out, "good job, silver buckle!!" 

"A buckle?" I think to myself.  I realize that I just finished a 100 mile race, and I'm guessing it was under 24 hours since I'm getting a silver buckle.  For some reason this feels familiar, but I can't figure out why everything feels so strange.

Then I hear a loud Russian voice from behind me. 

They tell me, "Good job!!  I guess you took my advice!!  Here's your buckle."

"What the FUCK!??!!?!" I turn around and see Michael.

Michael shacks my hand and hands me my buckle.  He sees the confused look on my face.  He asks me if I'm O.K. and tells me I should sit down and get something to eat.

I tell him I'm fine and I just keep looking at him.  My mind starts racing.  None of this makes sense.  What the hell is going on?

Then it hits me... and I ask him, "I'm dreaming... right?"

He laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

Michael grabs a hydration backpack, puts it on, and runs up the single track I just came running down.  It's still foggy at the top of the hill, and before gets out of sight he stops and turns around.  He yells down to me, "Don't be upset, I'm O.K.  Good job on the sub 24, I knew you could do it!!!!"  Then he ran off up the hill into the fog...

...My alarm clock goes off, I get out of bed, and get my running gear.  I get ready to meet Kyle at the running store to help out with the half marathon training group...


The last conversation I had with Michael was about how I missed hitting sub 24 hours at the Rocky Road 100 event last February of this year. I was on pace until mile 91, and then it all just fell apart.  Michael told me that next time I'm that close to hitting my goal, with only 9 miles left, that I better muscle through the pain and go for it.

After he passed away I ran a 100 mile race just a couple weeks later.  I thought about Michael the entire run.  I wasn't feeling very good at the end of the race.  At mile 91 I was on the side of the road throwing up and my friend Leigh passed me.  Her pacer asked me, "besides the throwing up, are you ok?"  I gave her a thumbs up.  Then she told me, "you're still on pace to hit sub 24... you got this!!!"

Then I thought to myself, "mile 91... I promised Michael that next time I was close to a goal, especially with only 9 miles left, that I wouldn't give up."

At this point into the race it was early in the morning and still dark out.  I looked up and saw 2 shooting stars.  I pointed at the sky where I saw the 2 shooting stars and said out loud, "These next 9 miles are for you buddy!!!"  I muscled out the last 9 miles and finished the race before the sun came up at 5:50am (23 hours 50 mins ).  My first sub 24 hour 100 mile race.