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Art Hutchinson is a friend and athlete that I have coached in previous
years.  In addition to being a veteran runner and triathlete, Art is 
gifted in his ability to capture, with captivating prose, the essence 
of endurance sports and the gamut of emotions these events provoke in 
all of us.

I encourage you to read his spellbinding account of his recent 
participation in a grueling 50m off-road running race in Arizona.  Art 
also reflects on our coaching relationship in the Testimonials area
of this site.
  
Zane Grey Highline Trail 50-Mile
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Payson, Arizona, 5:00AM

“The woods are lonely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep.”

- Robert Frost
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hadn’t noted its disappearance, but my shadow was gone.  Would hope 
soon follow?  I’d never been out this long.  I’d rarely hurt this 
much.  I was still moving steadily—maintaining an inner fire—but my 
faith and determination were wavering with each twist and bump in the
trail.  I knew I was close to the finish, but how close?  I had no 
idea.  It was all beginning to look the same: the jumbled red-brown 
rocks, the relentless hills, the thin, dry, chilling air.  I imagined 
myself on Mars: remote and alone, isolated from everything familiar.  
I wanted to yell: “Stop!  Enough already!  Show me the end!”

Along with 150 others, I had been on the trail since 5:00AM, (about 
45 minutes before sunrise) at the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50-Mile, 
in the mountains near Payson, Arizona, about two hours northeast of 
Phoenix.  It was now just after sunset—7:00PM.  Many competitors would
finish after dark.  I did not want to be one of them.  But if that’s 
what it was going to take, then so be it.  I had chosen this challenge
(perhaps too lightly, I now reflected); I was going to see it through. 
The ad in UltraRunning magazine had described it in superlative terms:
“The hardest 50-miler” —no elaboration necessary.  Zane Grey was 
living up to its billing.  It was kicking my butt.  Hard.  I had 
expected no less. 

To read on, click on this link to Art's site, 
http://www.cartegic.com/ZG502003.htm
It's a great read as you can probably tell by the intro.