Half-Wit Trail Half-Marathon
August 14, 2005
Reading, PA
(Report by Lynne Mack)

Remember that old school rant?

"I am a Half Wit, a mighty/mighty Half wit,
everywhere I go (oh), people want to know (oh),
who I am and where I come from ."

NO? Hmmm. Oops, who goes to school and calls themselves a Half Wit?     ;o)

Well 354 people are happily calling themselves Half Wits this year. That is because on August 14th they survived a grueling 13.1 trail run in 100+ weather in Engelman's Park, Reading PA. What makes it so grueling? Well check out how the race director describes the 'Half Wit' Half Marathon. 

". tour trails wide enough to hold two ferrets walking paw in paw and trip over enough rocks to build the Great Wall of Lichtenstein . To bushwhack the section where, much like their common sense, the trail disappears . To run straight up the sides of mountains because they once heard that "getting high can be fun". . Along the way, they'll speculate why someone would put "128 Steps from Hell" right in the middle of the woods ."

And he forgot (?) to mention a lot!!! From experienced trail runners I've been told this course is a 9 out of 10!! I didn't know this beforehand.  (Picture a gal with bewildered eyes wondering, "What did I do? How long is my long term disability? I'm going to get the person who convinced me to do this!"    ;o) ) 

But I loved every single minute of this run!! Yes, I stood still and waited as the gazillion people ahead of me forged through some 'tight squeeze' spots, I walked up those mountains (only the elite runners looked like they were running them), had to get rid of the 'sea legs' before running, jumped and climbed over a gazillion trees, watched every step I took (someone claims there were snakes), made new friends, pretended to be a little kid on an afternoon adventure (it distracts the mind from the burning muscles), got pretty muddy  :-), destroyed my shoes, ignored those fellow Half Wits drinking beer at the rest spots, . And did I say, loved every single
minute!

This race is a must for next year!! I attribute my success (finish) to the fact that I took all pre-race tips seriously. The Saturday before, I was a couch potato. I started drinking sport drinks around 12 noon due to the extreme heat. I brought my own water bottle and GU- a MUST!! The only thing that I forgot to do, get trail shoes!!

And as the race director says, 

"...  they WILL come back because, for one day in their incredibly nondescript lives, they will be in a place where their limitations are not only uncriticized, but, in fact, celebrated!"