What!  Me run an ultra- you've got to be kidding!  My friend Don Smith, a
running disciple of Dr. Horton, suggested it to me a couple of years ago.  I
just blew it off thinking, "I've done some dumb things, but I'm not crazy".
I began jogging around 30 years ago to combat my spreading waistline and
actually completed a marathon 20 years ago, vowing to never do anything like
that again.  Concentrating mainly on 10K's with a few half marathons thrown
in, I've been content to run around 15-20 miles per week.  Don is an
experienced ultra runner, and I've crewed for him several times at the
Mountain Masochist Race, each time being amazed that anyone would even
attempt such madness.

I came across Dr. Horton's article "Completing Your First Ultra-Marathon"
which is on the net.  He goes through all the steps involved in being able
to complete an ultra, specifically aimed at  "first timers".  I started
thinking-  why not?  However, when I had "trained" myself up to around 20
miles several times, I was out of gas.  Don assured me that being able to
run 20 miles was sufficient to be able to complete an ultra:  I confess, I
didn't believe him.  He told me about the Holliday Lake 50K and how
relatively easy the course is, and, more importantly, that he would stay
with me the whole way.  So, I gingerly broached the topic with my wife:  she
reminded me of the reasons I had stated for never running another marathon.
I told her that trail races are much more interesting than road races and,
that I was only thinking about it.

Well, as fate would have it I found myself the evening before the race
picking up my packet and having supper at the 4-H camp which serves as race
headquarters.  I looked around and saw several people I recognized from the
Masochist races and thought, "Have mercy-  what on earth am I doing
here"?(That feeling was to stay with me for most of the race.)

We began the race in the dark, several people carrying flashlights, and one
lady even wearing a small light rig on her hat.  Don and I (and our friend
J.J. who was also attempting his first ultra) started at the back of the
pack.  We were accompanied by shouts of encouragement from my wife, Mary,
Don's wife, Connie, and our friend David Adams.

I have never seen so much mud in my life!  There were quite a few places on
the course where running was impossible: thank goodness my shoes were tied
on tightly.  The race consists of 2 loops, with a 3 and 1/2 hour time limit
to complete the first one:  Don, J.J., and I made it with about 10 minutes
to spare.  I had wanted to get there in time to rest a bit and perhaps take
a short nap before beginning the 2nd lap-  silly me!  Don pulled me out of
the aid station and said, "Let's go!".  As we started back, we passed a few
people coming in, some looking like they were just barely hanging on.  At
this point, my calf muscles gave me a few twinges but, fortunately, that was
all.  Having read and reread Dr. Horton's article several times I knew
basically what to expect.  He suggested we make a list of the reasons why we
wanted to finish and  to share those reasons with people who would keep us
accountable.  I made my list, printed it out, and gave it to my wife and
some other supportive friends.  Here are my reasons for finishing:

   1.  In praise and honor to God for the gift of good health he has given me.
   2.  To make Mary (my wife) proud of me.
   3.  To make Don proud of me.
   4.  For all the weakling kids with thick glasses (like me) who were always chosen last for any games at school.
   5.  To know that if I wasn't able to finish, I had given it absolutely everything I had .

I recited these reasons many times in my head, especially as I became tired
during the last miles and had to walk more frequently.  Don hung in there
with me and walked whenever I needed to.  I am very grateful to him for
giving up his race to stay with me and make sure I finished.  And, if you
can believe it, I did finish:  we beat the 7 and 1/2 hour time limit by
around 34 minutes!  What a relief!  (J.J. had gone on ahead soon after the
turn around and beat us by almost 30 minutes-  but that's OK since he's only
half my age.)

Thanks to so many-  Dr. Horton for his encouragement, my wife and friends
for support, and Don for his faith in me.  Let's see... a marathon when I
was 38 years old, an ultra at age 58.. wonder what I'll do when I'm 78?

Everett Mounts