June 14, 2011

For some, the question "can I get a light?" at about 10 p.m. at the Barton Creek Greenbelt may signal the beginning of an interesting and eclectic evening.  This isn't the case for trail runners; in fact, it is most likely to be followed by a rolled ankle or some nasty scrapes and bruises.  About five and a half miles into our run tonight, the area around me went pitch black.  My CVS-brand, double-A batteries had given out on me and my back-up light was cleverly attached to my other Camelbak, the one I'd left at home.  I hit my flashlight against my hand, flicked it off and on, hoping against reality that it would find some extra juice and get me through to, at least, the final turn.  No such luck and, without an extra light to bum off another runner, I had to share the light cast from their lamps, dodging my own shadow and straining my eyes for stumps, rocks, and snakes.  Taking pity on me and relying on his greater stores of experience, Gordon loaned me his headlamp for the last mile and a half, conveniently leading us to race one another to the trailhead at somewhere below an eight minute mile, all without a rolled ankle to speak of.  Yet another running lesson learned: bring extras of everything.