Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:27:59 -0700 (PDT) 
From:  "Michael Bur" 
Subject: The Barkley... 


She is a cruel temptress.

One does not go to Tennessee to have your way with
her - like you can do with so many other ultras.
Sometimes they're so "cheap" and "easy" - they 
just roll on over and you have your way.

But not the Barkley.

If you show up sight unseen, she will laugh at you.
She doesn't care what your pedigree is, how many
ultras you've won or how prepared you think you are
or if you've graced the cover of some magazine.

You must spend time with her, courting her, letting
her know that you'll be around.  Gradually, she'll
open up to you.  If you're persistent, you'll get to
know her "thorny side", her "sunny side", her bitter
cold side and her "hellish" side.....

Sure, you can try to hide behind someone else and 
try and ride their coat tails...someone who knows her
better...someone who can hold your hand when it's
dark and cold and tell you when to turn...assure you
that everything will be ok; but even then you never
know...out there, "Barkley friendships" can be very
brief indeed.

I have admired her from afar for a number of years.
I got to know some of her friends and eventually
figured out how to arrange for a proper introduction.

The first year, I felt like she really opened up to
me and revealed alot.  In the beginning anyway(she
can come on strong at times and be a flirt and you 
know what a rush it can be when you first meet).
However, toward the end, she spun me around and I
didn't know which way was up.  With bitter cold
snow/sleet/freezing rain being sandblasted
sideways onto my face I stumbled around like I was
on the set for the winter version of the "Blair Witch
Project".  My hands cold and frozen to the point
of no longer being able to twist the bezel on my
my compass to take an accurate bearing...I groped
around blindly and eventually found my way back into
camp.  Fifteen and a half hours to grab 11 pages and
go "20" miles.  Yeah, that's not real fast.  She
was not impressed.

The good news there was that any of the people who
I had any chance of keeping up with(some who have 
done the "fun run" before) quit mid way into
the second loop...so I didn't end up missing much 
as I would have been riding their coat tails on the
second loop anyway.  Misery enjoys company.

The other good news was that there was plenty of room
for improvement.  It couldn't possibly get worse than
that....could it?(save perhaps, checking into the
"Chimney Top" Limacher Hilton for an overnight).

I left wiser and determined.

This year, I spent some time getting to know her
better.  Picking the brains of some of those who 
have had long term relationships with her and know 
her better; getting out there and spending time 
with her other than during the actual event(she 
likes that).  It all helped tremendously, but 
in the end, still wasn't enough.

I quit after two loops...40 miles and 25 hours of
dancing and she had had enough of me...and I guess,
I her.  She chewed up the backs of my heels and the
sides of my ankles...something that I'm not accustomed
to.  She also let me know that although I'm getting
to know her, there are still dark and mysterious
sides of her that I don't know yet.  I had plenty of
time to get out there for a third loop but faced with
the prospect of trying to negotiate a reverse loop,
half of which would have been in the dark and the
fact that both my wheels were banged up, I decided to
stop dancing...I quit...the rockpeckers chased me
from the course just like the supercomputer said they
would.  She laughed...the bugle played.

But, I leave her knowing her a little better.  All
things considered, it wasn't a bad second date - just
not perfect(at least that's what I'm telling myself).
I again left wiser and know what I have to do to get
to know her a yet a little better still.  In her own
subtle way, she demands that I not be a stranger
between now and next year.

Congrats and admiration go out to Mike Tilden and
Jim Nelson, or as they became known in camp "Tilson".
They accomplished one of ultrarunning's toughest
challenges.  They put on a clinic and it was amazing
to watch.  Congrats also to the "fun run" finishers.
For the rest who participated - good luck in getting
to know this southern belle better in the future.

Michael Bur
Kensington, Maryland