greetings,

while i am loathe to add to the excess of space taken up by the barkley "discussions" i would like to clarify a few things which seem to have created misconceptions.

first and foremost, i would not characterize barkley as a race for those who would create a self-image as the "toughest, baddest" boys on the block. i would have to say it is exactly the opposite. 99% plus of the runners conclude their efforts by giving up and quitting. i respect them for attempting an event where "success" is not all but guaranteed, however, those of us who were there know that all but one of them (this year's runners) concluded their outing with either excuses, or a flat admission of failure. Mark Williams, David Horton, Blake Wood, and now Ted Kaiser; those guys i consider to have proven themselves as belonging among the "toughest and baddest". a handful of others (around 10% of starters) salvage some pride with at least a fun-run finish. for the rest of us, the barkley merely showcases our frailties and weakness.

secondly, the barkley is a running event. as the course grows in the minds of those who failed (arent we all this way?), the difficulty reaches epic proportions. the truth is (at least if you believe in math) 45% of the course is flat out runnable, jeep/logging roads, well maintained hiking paths, and even a little bit of pavement. and, if the will is there, the entire thing CAN be run. as a matter of fact, two different runners have run every step of a single loop. it just did not contribute to a successful outing. the portion of a loop that individuals run or walk is determined by choice, by what the runner believes to be optimal for finishing the race. running every step is not conducive to success. for one thing, on some of the steep hills (at least for me) running is no faster than walking, it just takes more effort. also, again based on my experience, i ended up having to walk some very runnable stretches just to recover enough to take on the next big climb. as far as mountaineering, there is none. as far as orienteering, there is none. for the "city folks", who cannot see a trail unless the leaves are swept clear and there are visible blazes at all times, the course might be a little intimidating, but there are obvious trails to follow.

publicity. we neither seek nor shun it. as a coach i repeat (ad infinitum) that "the least valuable thing you get from sports is individual recognition." "your team-mates and opponents know what you did, and their respect is the most important thing." thus bunting a runner to second, or boxing out so that a team-mate can pick up a rebound, are equal to or greater than hitting a home run, or a 3-point shot. by that standard, barkley "pub" is pretty much worthless. however, the runners seem to enjoy it. hell, i enjoy it when it is funny. so we neither seek publicity nor shun it. my only reservation is a preference not to attract more applicants. it is distinctly unpleasant to have more applicants than available slots, and anyone who has been there will confirm that 35 is about the maximum the trails will handle. indeed, in a wet year it may be too many.

the barkley is not in competition with other races. each race has its own design, its own purposes. hardrock, tuscarora, etc, are simply other hard races. each appeals to runners in different ways. the wise runner will taste from many dishes. i still believe that the natural desire to designate our own race as the "toughest" is a product of youthful enthusiasm. as we mature, and recognize the inherent drawbacks to that way of thinking, such desires fade. barkley is tough, in its own way, just as the other races are tough , in their own way. also, no race is inherently superior to another. different runners seek different things. what the runners seek has a great impact on which races they enter, and what they find in them. the more extreme races do tend to have a psychological effect on the participants. however, if i find that one race provides me with a "spiritual experience", that does not invalidate all other races, nor the personal growth others find in them.

we want runners to finish. but we want it to mean something. i root for the underdog just like most everyone else, and the runners at the barkley are the underdogs. from the start i root for each individual, altho i realize that most, if not all, will fail. as the race goes along, and the field thins, i identify more and more closely with the survivors. by the time we get down to the final 2 or 3 runners, it is a crushing disappointment each time one folds. however, on the rare occasions when a runner actually completes the race, it is as exhilarating as ohio state knocking off miami for the national championship. there would be no way to replicate that thrill if we had a 60, 70, or even a 90% finish rate. it is rarity that makes a finish special.

what makes barkley hard? well, the amount of climb is well documented, and that certainly makes it hard enough. using a map to know where to go requires a certain amount of skill, but it doesn't take lewis & clark to follow the course. the difficulty mainly comes from the necessity of paying attention all the time. what the barkley demands is focus, self-reliance, and resourcefulness. we have to keep our eyes on the prize. when the desire to stop exceeds the desire to succeed we begin to create excuses for quitting. we have to create those excuses, because hardly anyone gets timed out. on the other hand, the time limits just don't leave enough room to get adequate rest. sleep deprivation qualifies as torture when it is imposed on the unwilling. to succeed at barkley your desire must be great enough to torture yourself. you must rely on yourself, because there is no pacer to carry you through. it is possible (common even) to team up with others for mutual support. however, your team-mate has been through everything you have been through. if you don't pick your mates carefully they may serve only to reinforce the validity of your excuses for quitting. excuses that sound so solid out in the woods after a day or so without sleep, but so weak at home, after a good nights sleep (especially when some fool "blows the curve" by finishing). one must also plan thoroughly. you must go for a half a day or more at a time, with only the supplies you chose to carry (except for water). frozen head weather is particularly volatile. it can be sunny with temps in the 70's to start a loop, and be snowing before it is complete. runners have two choices, carry an enormous pack, or learn to deal with a wide range of conditions with very little gear. only one of those choices will enable you to finish.

so the Barkley is what the barkley is. and it has no pretensions of being anything else. it is not cool. it is not politically correct. and most runners are going to find humility when they went seeking fame. the only thing it really offers is a chance to truly discover your limits. we cant really know what our limits are until we attempt something that exceeds them.

thanks for your patience. if verbosity were a crime i would be serving a life sentence!

laz
Apr/2003