Let’s get this party started

“I realize that the course for the DWD presents a number of potential dangers to me and I hereby assume the risk arising from all of them.”

My race instructions and details arrived in the mail. It’s here. Devil’s Lake is on Saturday.

“I realize that my participation in this event entails the risk of injury or even death…I know that broken bones, reaction to poison ivy, insect bites, and bruising are common occurrences in this extreme event and that I will be far into the wilderness away from medical support.”

Along with this cheerful bit of a liability waiver is a course map and a pamphlet with instructions and descriptions of the course legs. Um, how steep is a Bunny Slope? How about an Intermediate ski slope? (Never mind; it’s about 970 feet over a couple of miles, is how steep, at least when you combine the two.) I actually think I’m more concerned about running down the Double Black Diamond. I’ve never been skiing, but somehow, that name doesn’t sound “gently sloping” to me. And of course, that would be the part that they’re describing as having tall, footstep-obscuring, grass.

But all that’s just the first 4.5 miles. Then the fun really starts.

“I certify…that I have trained adequately for this race.”

I certainly hope I have. I guess we’ll see on Saturday!