Pinhoti 100

On Saturday and Sunday, some of my running buddies and I will be "sweeping" parts of the Pinhoti 100 Trail Race in the Talladega National Forest.  The race starts near Heflin, AL on Saturday morning and finishes 100 miles to the southwest in Sylacauga, AL on Sunday morning.  Our job is to follow the last runner, pick up the course marker flags and make sure no one has fallen by the wayside.  Two of my friends are even HAM radio operators and they will have their radios with them on the trail.  Apparently, that is a first for this race.

Three of my friends will be sweeping from Mile 41 to Mile 60, in the dark!  There is one steep downhill section, aptly named Blue Hell, that is rocky and boulder-strewn with two creek crossings.  Did I mention that they will be running this section in the dark!!!  Not for me!

I will be sweeping with two of those same friends, plus one's husband, from Mile 85 to the end on Sunday morning.

I'm so excited, you would think I was one of the racers!

(Photos courtesy of the Pinhoti 100 website.)