The Crash Pad Experience

The Crash Pad meshes very well with the community spirit that we've become used to in the trail running village. As I walked through the door I was welcomed with a smile and called by name by Dan, Max and Katie. They introduced me to Ruben who is staying here as well. He's a Chickamauga, Ga native here for a mini stay-cation. Alan was here as well, he's the live in manager...the staff is all cool. Alan is a super cool guy and will be very helpful to the guests, as well as all the other staff and owners!

At check in I got my key card, a quick tour, and all my linens set up in the room. The building is very secure and the key cards allow you entrance to the building from the outside and into the sleeping areas. After bringing in a few items I went out to visit friends.

Upon returning it was very quiet and although I worried a tad about waking anyone up, I realized if privacy is what folks were looking for they would get a private room, or they would probably have noise canceling headphones on. I made my way into my private room. There is air conditioning and the temp is perfect, but if you like it even cooler there are ceiling fans and a smaller fan on the wall that makes a nice white noise sound. Sheets, pillowcases,blanket, towels, and washcloths are all given to you at check in. My bed was about the most comfortable I've slept in ever. When I saw Ruben this morning he said the same thing...he had slept the best he had in a long time. 

Upon waking I was preparing for a run, and needed a quick breakfast. I was prepared with bagels until Dan mentioned he was headed to Niedlovs bakery and asked if anyone wanted anything. The words cinnamon roll no quicker left his mouth than I was up on my feet following him and Alan 100 steps to snag one. Yummy! The kitchen is fully stocked with coffee mugs, glasses, dishes, commercial coffee maker, and plenty of counter space to share with other guests. I would have to say that the wake up meet and greet was my favorite part. We returned from Niedlovs to the lobby and all ate and drank coffee together...everyone getting ready for different tasks. Another guest, Dan, was working on a guide book about mountain climbing for Rocktown Ga, Ruben was off to enjoy a morning yoga session, I was off to Lookout Mtn for a group run. No slackers here today, until I returned...and now I'm totally chillin. :)

When I returned from the run I came in to find my room clean, the cleaning staff working on bathrooms and kitchen, and a nice quiet environment in which 3 of us are sitting here in the lobby working. Ruben shared his lunch with me, Dan gave me permission to give any tours if any friends want to stop by, and  I sat down to type out this review... I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience! I felt very safe and welcome here. You are footsteps away from many cool restaurants, and all the indoor and outdoor :) attractions that our fair city has to offer. The South Side rocks anyway...and these guys turned up the volume with a hip, artistic, clean, classy, uncommon hostel. I will be back, no doubt about it. 

Enoree 40

This race is the first, in or out of town, that I have ever done solo. I've always traveled posse style and gone where the wind blew my training partners. I knew people at the Enoree race, but none of them were from my area. This was an adventure I needed. I posted about this being a year of discovery for me a bit ago and my running (along with several other things in life) needed some tweaking.

I've asked myself why I love running so much several times. One thing I always come back to is the focus I have on the trail that I lack in some other areas of life. I get distracted easily and don't always finish what I start. On the trail...if you want to see the waterfall that is 10 miles out...you gotta go 10 miles to get there. No shortcuts. If you want to go home from said waterfall...you've got to get back to where you started. Simple enough. Focusing on breathing, nutrition, hydration, and other self care is one more way. Paying attention to detail for an otherwise scattered brain is as much an accomplishment as having a great run as far as I'm concerned.

Another question I've been asking myself is if I love running because I love running, or because it profited me time with friends. Certainly spending time with friends is a benefit...but I discovered that I would run if I hadn't a soul to run with...and I have done that several times now.

This leads me to Enoree 40.  I don't care about prizes, goody bags, or a who's who list of registered runners. I thought that was just something that I, or people like me, say when they don't have a prayer of placing in a race. :) While at one time that may have been true...I have grown as a runner more than I realized. I have many great training runs, but few great races. Why is that? Nerves? Maybe. I don't know. I did discover that I don't care. At Enoree I think I had an excellent chance of placing as a top 3 female. Granted there were few females and it is a small race...but most of the time if a person is willing to commit to a 40 mile race, there's some good training behind it, so never underestimate.

As I scanned the crowd at 7:25 a.m., looking for smiles and familiar faces, I came across a game faced female. You can't help sizing up the competition...even if you aren't that competitive. I admit that when she didn't smile I didn't like it, but I understood. She meant business...and I didn't let that get to me. Somewhere in the first 10 miles I got the chance to pass her...that was all I needed...just the satisfaction of knowing I was in the first girl's vicinity was enough. She was rock steady. I never talked to or met her, she had a solid race and never looked tired. I guess it was around the 10 mile ish aid station that I fell back. It was then that I started pampering myself with fluids and food, and happy thoughts. I was running with a friend with the intent on seeing him finish his longest race. The heat, the 10 mile faster than planned pace, something...got to him and 1/3 of the race list. Out of 75, 50 finished. At mile 30, with bad cramping in both calves, and dehyrdation chills, he had to drop. There had been much walking going on between mile 20-30. After he dropped and I had refueled at the aid station I took off with earphones on(which i never do!) because I needed a pick up. I submit that there is nothing a little Black Eyed Peas can't cure! :)

Terri Hayes(the race director)puts on a laid back race. You have to pay attention to her markings. It's like a game and I think I figured it out...because unlike Long Cane...no wrong turns were made. There were folks who did and I know the disappointment that brings. I've been there. I came back to her race for the sheer delight of the laid back atmosphere and to test myself on course markings. Hurray! Success was had. As I saw sweet Terri on the course (after hearing some complaints about markings) out there viewing it for herself to check first hand...I envisioned when she originally tied the ribbons on to mark the course. Terri has run for a long time, and this is her passion...presenting her product and making ultrarunning attainable to those of us who are not elite runners. No time cut offs...etc. In my mind I could see her walking the course, picking the spot, and tying the little ribbon as if she were putting an ornament on a Christmas tree...stepping back, looking at it, and saying "yes, that looks good there". I was thankful for the experience of Long Cane which taught me much about keeping your eyes open. Thanks Terri for your time, and to Jason Sullivan for his time in marking the course.

I re-read my post about Long Cane from September and the words "what I've come to love is long training days with friends, and this race has that feel". Absolutely I agree with that statement yet again. Familiar encouraging faces along the way makes it oh so rewarding. No offense to the girl who won(and the others who passed along the way), but I submit that I had a heck of a lot more fun than she did!!! I soaked it in the whole way. I realized that I would run 40 miles for the heck of it. On my last leg of 10 miles I got to run at a pretty good clip since I was rested from walking. I think I scared a few coming up behind them moving so quickly as if I was about to win a prize if I got there in time!! (hours after the winners had gone home!! lol) I ran it quick because I could...and it felt amazing. I got to encourage folks along the way...find out a little about them and their lives...and I dare say that my name higher on the list of finishers would never bring me the satisfaction that making new friends does. Jason(Big Easy), Wayne(Weezy), Psyche, Charles, Mark E, JStein, Dan H., Terri, and the mack mama of massage...Denise, are folks I won't soon forget getting to hang out with. Thank you all for making it such a wonderful day!!

Happy Trails!! :)

I don't even like lizards, so why be a chameleon?

I started writing a race report and this came out...oops...lol. I'll get to the race report later.

To say this year has been a year of discovery would be an understatement. Remember the scene in Runaway Bride when Richard Gere tells Julia Roberts that she's 'so lost she doesn't even know what kind of eggs she likes'...(she'd been conforming to the likes of others so long she'd lost her identity). Well, I've been trying to figure out what kind of eggs I like, so to speak. I am involved in a weekly class(personal inventory) right now that involved stating your intentions for the class as you introduced yourself. I remember saying "I'm Wendy Oates, and I don't know who the heck I am, but I look forward to finding out!!"

I'm a people person to the core. I've never been real comfortable alone. I suppose I thought I was bad company despite the fact that I have oodles of friends which must mean that's  not true, right?! The problem with always trying to be with people is that you can be distracted from learning what you love...or don't...about yourself. As the layers of my chameleonic life have been sloughing away, I have been finding peace within. I've been learning to take the good with the bad. Invest where there is a possibility of return...for all involved. Appreciate the little things. Love the unlovely and try to remain unchanged in the face of unloveliness. Find a reason to smile in the face of adversity. Lastly, to love myself...not because I deserve it, but because if I don't, how can I possibly love others?

Along the way I have found out that I like being with me. I've taken myself on some solo runs, some solo shopping trips, some solo dining, and several other things. 'Smile and the world smiles with you' seems to be very true in my case. All of a sudden, I am surrounded by some of the most unique and beautiful personalities I have ever witnessed. Not only have I learned to love me, but I have learned that cookie cutter relationships (cliques) will NEVER be for me. I love diversity and those in my life who make it worth living. Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm off to discover something new....

Race report later!!

Photos @ Enterprise South Park

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=296828&id=690509749

Enterprise South Park

Today I got a grand tour of Enterprise South park from Lee Greene. He's the Park Superintendent for Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. Lee was more than gracious and he's just as excited about getting the park opened as I am to get on some new local trail to run (and that's pretty darn excited).

When you enter the park from Volkswagen Drive there is a beautiful Visitor Center on the right. This will serve as a place to welcome and inform visitors of what the park has to offer. The park sits on about 2800 acres of what was once the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant. Although most of the ammunition bunkers have been removed, there are still 103 left on the property.  These will be numbered and plotted to be used as markers in case someone got lost, or just to serve as a point of interest.(i.e. meet me at the picnic area near bunker number....). Some of the bunkers serve as historical exhibits. We opened one just to take a peek. He warned me that snakes sometimes crawl out, so I stepped back a step or 10. No snakes came out, but Jiminy and all his other cricket homies were having a house party in there. There are some boxes marked "explosives" trying to recreate what may have been what it looked like inside. I can sleep at night now that  "entered a bunker" can be marked off my bucket list. :) Seriously, it's pretty cool especially if you grew up around here wondering what the heck was on the other side of the miles long fence on Bonny Oaks Drive.

There are many miles of woodland walking trails, roads for leisure riding/walking, mountain biking, trail running, and there is an ADA accessible trail as well. There are picnic areas scattered around, one is by a small lake. There are restrooms along the roadside. There is still much to look forward to in the future, as SORBA and the equine "powers that be" seek to build even more mountain bike trails and some horse trails on the property.  I had assumed the land was rather flat, but I was mistaken. The terrain is very rolling, and will make for a great workout.

Besides the beauty of the trails and trees there are more deer out there than you can shake a stick at. No wonder poachers have impeded the park opening....it's like a stocked deer farm in there. Around every corner there they were, like little hostesses waiting to say hello. They smile for the camera and then bound off just far enough to leave some space...then turn around just to see if you're still paying attention. Lee has been on the property enough to know the deer as families. He mentioned 3 brothers that he's watched grow up this year and how all family ties are severed now that it's mating season. I saw my first buck in pursuit today as well as well as my first bunker. Strange combination of firsts....

Opening date is close...it's not official yet, but should be the weekend before Christmas or the beginning of the year. Well done Hamilton County Parks and Recreation...there should be miles of smiles to be had on this beautiful property that has been sitting dormant for so very long....

~Wendy Oates