With my “old man” running buddies at Gifford Illinois, summer, 2014. We ran this 5K together as well as others in the Champaign Urbana area over the past few months. I appreciate these guys and have learned from them.

Running for Chickens at Run Rabbit Run sounds like a lot of running. And the term race has been used by people who are encouraging me in this venture..as in “Have a good race”. Or “Its amazing that you will run a 50 mile race”. This morning a strong supporter emailed “I’m getting excited for the race. Because you’re doing it, because chickens will be raised…”

I deeply appreciate the affirmations, contributions, and confidence that friends and family have expressed. And I am going to “run” all out this Saturday, finish strong, and raise a ton of money for this Copper Canyon Chicken Project

But this 50 miler will not be a “race” for me–I’m not competing with anyone. I have never run an ultramarathon–I have never even run a marathon. So I am just going all out to do my best. My target is to run the thing in 14 hours…and to finish well.

Now I use the word “run”, but I would not say my participation will even be a run….all the way…I will have to walk some uphill, rocky areas. And certainly not a race as I have said. I am here to do my best, not to compete with others. It will take pacing, relaxing, all out exertion, some walking, and a big push in the “third third” to get to the end strong.

And I will.

Actually, considering this course outside my Steamboat window right now (it is 4:45 am and I am up and getting ready to go out and jog a bit of the course), and the 64.95 year old body that I inhabit right now) here is the reality: my physical movement this Saturday at the 8th annual Run Rabbit Run will more accurately be a “get out to the middle and then back to the finish fast any way I can with every bit of energy I can find” kind of experience. After running and walking almost all of this rocky, muddy, up and down track the last few days, I understand with clarity the name of Bryon Powell’s book on ultra running, “Relentless Forward Progress“.

But I am going for it.

So I will walk a some. Yes walk. And I expect there to be others like me who will pace themselves (especially in the first 6.2 miles which is straight up and at several of the rocky, muddy areas) in order to make it to the end strong and in good time.

And while the young bucks who win this thing will meet me before I get to halfway, I will be in the company of quite a number of other runners (sorry, I mean runner/walkers) who, while crazy enough to try this run, at least realize that the altitude, rough terrain, etc. will eat our lunch if we fight it.

So we will relax and go hard.

I am going to have some real fun–and raise some money for the Copper Canyon Chicken Project at the same time.

And I will get there to the end strong.

Long slow joy.