May the hills be with you

Cool volunteer shirt. The finishers technical shirt this year was spectacular. Black with monkeys on the sleeve for the number of monkey marathons run before today. (episode 4) Pretty cool touch.


If you can't run, volunteer. Today's assignment, the intersection of the 11.2 and the 5.8? on the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. If you've never been to Percy Warner Park, this would be section of the main drive known as 9 mile hill. It actually is at 5 miles on the marathon course as they ascend the hill and then around mile 20.5 as they descend and head toward the finish.

I set a few signs out for the little rise to the intersection of the road and waited for the first pack of runners. I brought a thermos full of coffee and more than likely was just a tad wired when the runners started flowing through. 5 miles into a marathon everyone is still pretty cheerful, even though they may have been a little suffering up the hill. Still even with all of the runners its still spooky quiet. Heard some rustling in the leaves as one group of runners were running through and a 6 point buck was standing off the side of the road just watching the spectacle.

Big fail in the mission, no beer. I know, what a spot for a beer right after a long climb and right before mile 21. Big plans to set out a table with beer, with some kind of clever sign. Change of plans after looking at the weather forecast. Everything indicated rain. I fully expected it to be raining. Radar on race morning was a solid blob of green coming up from the south. So, I thought I'd be proactive and bring a pop up canopy for the finish area. That change in plans eliminated the trunk space in my car. Oh well, maybe next year, if I don't run. Beer at mile 20.5. But, I really want one of those cool monkey shirts. Oh what a dilemma for a simple minded runner, idiot perhaps?