Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Probably Less than Six Hours of J.B. Hunt Park

I'm due for a finish, big time. Heartland was a bust, but I did get in a good run at the Inaugural Six Hours of Tontitown Park (which I've just revised to 28.89 miles based on an improved measurement of the course). I felt great after the run, tired but completely free of pain. Then I ran the Rock the Block 5k, a fund raiser for the elementary school where my friend David Dinan's kids go to kindergarten. It was to be the first and last 5k of my life. How poetic that I would be disqualified for doing a Killian and also injure my Achilles tendon. What a stupid stunt that was, running three sub-nine-minute miles on pavement. Only a madman would do such a thing!

That was three and a half weeks ago. After two days of ice, a week of Ibuprofen, and lots of rest, my Achilles had gone ten days without an inkling of a problem. Plus, after being balls-to-the-wall slammed at work for three straight weeks, they decided business was so slow that I needed to be laid off again. No matter, that gave me the perfect opportunity to run the Inaugural Up to Six but Probably Less than that Hours of J.B. Hunt Park. In the spirit of that event, I decided I would show up and run as much or as little as I felt like for not more than six hours.

Funny that I've been living in Springdale for a dozen years now and only discovered this park last week. Springdale has four quadrants, north and south of Sunset, east and west of Thompson. Circumstance has dropped me in such a life that I just do not have call to go into the northwest quadrant, certainly not north of Huntsville Avenue (for Martijn: Mama Tang is on Huntsville) or so. The upper northwest quadrant might as well be Tibet.

But a friend turned me on to the park so I went to check it out. Turns out, it is a beautiful park tucked in amongst Springdale's most affluent neighborhoods, a good reason to never go there. But as a runner, it has one very interesting and desirable feature: It has hills. There is also a measurable, paved path with closely cut grass on either side. It also has a restroom with running water and what this morning was a very cold stainless steel shitter, making it ideal for six-hours-of events. The first one took place this morning.

It was cold. I ran one lap, then two, then three. I ran a forth and a fifth. I ran a sixth, all clockwise. I drank water several times, removed my gloves, and scrunched my long sleeves up over my elbows. I left the loop to run the short distance north to Lake Springdale, which I circumambulated at a slow jog. I ran back to the loop. I ran around the loop some more, clockwise, not counting my laps. I walked a lap and then drove home. I do not know how long I ran or how far.

This concludes my race report.

7 comments:

carl duewall said...

Did you assume the shitter was cold or do you know it for a fact? (dozen set years, no?)

Dave Renfro said...

I know the shitter was cold. Hi, Carl!

Martijn said...

The Google Earth pictures make your running even more like a military operation. I like that.

Funny how my own mind works: I, in your place would, have chosen to run to Mama Tang, pick up a bag of scotchs bonnet chilli peppers and bottle of soy and ran home. I have always been for for combining multiple goals. Lately I combine them by failing and giving them all up, but the principle still stands.

Run run run run run... Hey Dave, thanks for the custom story.

soubriquet said...

I'll never understand you running folk. You run from one place to another, which I can sorta see the point of, if you can't get a ride, but then you passthe point you're going to, and set off for the point you started at, and head once more for the point you're going to. It hurts, but you do it anyway, and you repeat this again and again, voluntarily.

Am I missing something here? I've known cats to show a better grasp of common sense.
Sit down, man, take the load off your feet, and relax. Happy thanksgiving!

Dave Renfro said...

More Google Earth photos to come. You're welcome, Martijn!

Dave Renfro said...

Hiya, Soub! Say, if you're available, maybe you could crew for me if I decide to run Rocky Raccoon someday. You'll get to see some great carnage! We'll talk.

Thanks for the Thanksgiving greetings and the same back at you. Thanksgiving is a pretty universal concept which I'm sure translates well even in you're strange language. Basically everyone just drinks beer and watches hockey.

All the best!

red dirt girl said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Dave!

the best to you and yours
xxx