Good News - Bad News

The Good News - My daughter Vanessa and I managed to register for the Race to Robie Creek.

The Bad News - Ditto

Some race history:

2008 - "Registration for the race is almost as competitive as the event itself - with people scrambling to secure one of the roughly 2,400 spots in the race. Organizers made registration online-only for the first time last year.

Registration began at 8 a.m. and by around 1:30 p.m. all the spots for the 2008 race had been filled.

Race to Robie Creek started in 1975, and takes runners through a grueling 13 mile course up Rocky Canyon, over Aldape Summit and down in to the Robie Creek area off Highway 21."




2009 - "It's been called the toughest half-marathon in the Northwest and on Monday registration for the Race to Robie Creek opened -- and closed -- in record time.

The 13-mile race from Fort Boise, over the Aldape Summit, and ending at Robie Creek Park, is not for the faint of heart. But besides being one of Boise's toughest races, it's also a favorite.

Registration for the run lasted only 43 minutes this year before all 2,232 spots were filled."



"The race starts on the northeast side of town near Old Fort Boise and winds it’s way out and up ending up at Robie Creek Campground 13.1 miles away. The first half mile is flat but after that the work begins in earnest as the runners ascend 2.5 miles of pavement and 5.3 miles of dirt/dust/mud, depending on the weather, climbing 2250’. The last 1.3 miles pitches up at close to 9% before the 4.8 mile, 1500’ quad-smashing descent to the finish line. If you like ‘em flat, you won’t like this one!

Heading down the other side is a mix of utter exhilaration and blinding fear. The road was muddy and it is very steep, probably in the 10-12% range for the first 7/10ths with a couple of hairpin turns and mud holes thrown in for good measure.

The course has aid stations every mile or so with usual supportive staff, fruit, water sports drink, all the usual goodness that I try not to take for granted. These folks have been hauling supplies and themselves up on the course since the wee hours of the morning to help all of us up and over the tough course with their encouraging words and hands full of sustenance. The exception being the Boise Hash House Harriers “Tables of Temptation” at mile 8. Forget everything nice you’ve ever had happen at an aid station when you get to this cross between a frat party and mugging. Their offerings include beer, whiskey, Twinkies, cigars and donuts. Two ‘men’ dressed in very ill fitting bikinis scream that the “race is already over”, “everyone has gone home”, “you’re not going to make it anyway”, “you look like crap!”, while trying to get the runners to stop and partake of all that is unhealthy and unholy. Another harpy works his way up and down the course in a walker as the crowd yells “You can’t even outrun the guy in the walker”…and that’s just the part I can write about in a family publication. It is a good diversion at the top of the hill and worth the price of admission."
2006 - Pat Miller

I have the feeling/belief/quivering in my shoes that I'll be lucky/grateful/praying just to finish.

No one is letting on what the theme will be for 2009, but in 2006 it smelled of fear:



I've got about 2 months to train. Time to start running, and running, and running.