Why didn’t I bring my trekking poles? They were sitting right there in plain sight with all the useless running gear when I left this morning. But I thought to myself, no the 100K course doesn’t go on Schaeffer Shuffle, you won’t need them. Well, I could sure use them now as I traverse an oversized Lego block strewn slope up to the spine of the Franklin Mountains while bursts of unrelenting wind sting my face. My ankles twist and roll as I try to keep my balance on the shifting jagged rocks of the scree field that leads to the big cottonwood tree by the spring in the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, TX.
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| Oversized Lego blocks. (Minimalist shoes NOT recommended) |
I really have nothing to complain about though. I just passed a friend who is running the Franklins 200 miler that started on Wednesday of this week and has been going for more than three days already. I think about the fact that I’m only on my first 32.5 mile loop of the Lone Star Hundred 100K so I just suck it up and focus on making it to the tree. Very high log steps are placed willy-nilly on this trail that leads to the spring. Boulders and large roots augment the steep stairs but I still have to use my hands in a few places to climb up. Did I mention trekking poles would be handy here?