Ultrarunningmom

Road to Recovery - Day 2

2011-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning feeling better and more energetic than I have felt since I became sick. I attribute this completely to being able to run yesterday. As much as I wanted to run again today I knew better than to start my recover this way so I skipped a run and headed off to school knowing that Wednesdays are my long days and than there were errands to be run after class.

My energy levels remained high throughout the day and I arrived home still feeling pretty good. This is such a change from even a couple of weeks ago when I would arrive home only to fall asleep before I could even make dinner and wake sometime in the early morning hours. I quickly put some homemade vegetable soup on to heat up and threw some laundry into the wash. After cleaning the kitchen and wolfing down my soup I still felt pretty good and set about getting my things together for my clinical tomorrow. I checked the time (hard to gauge this time of year since it gets dark so early) and realized that I still had a couple of hours before I needed to go to bed. Perfect timing to get in a TRX workout.

Before I became sick I had began to workout with the TRX several times a week and was making progress on my upper body. While sick I not only lost all that progress, but lost pretty much all my upper body strength and now have definite "girl arms". I not only plan to come back running, but strong enough upper body to be back using my chainsaw in the near future.

The workout went well and I definitely have a long way to go but I am hopefully on the right track....

Road to Recovery

2011-11-29T15:30:00.000-08:00

I completed my first run today since becoming sick with C Diff, and all the further complications that came with it, in early October. I had planned to start back Thursday afternoon since I would be done with my classes for the week and if things went terribly wrong I would have all weekend to recover. However, it has been cold and rainy/snowy all day today and I just couldn't resist.
I left the house without much of a plan other than to go by feel. I set out on one of my easier routes that allows me to wind down the mountain into St Elmo via park service dirt roads and the Lookout Mtn Conservancy road. The road is not paved and is very well maintained and not open to vehicles so it was perfect for my first run back.
The route I chose would take me just over 5 miles to my turn around point and a little under 3 miles to return home since I would take Ochs back up the mountain to my house instead of the trails. I chose this to allow for a good warm up before running up the mountain and also so that if I fell apart it wouldn't be a big deal to get rescued. I drive the return route every day coming home from school or errands and I swear it isn't nearly as steep in my car ;-).
Overall the run went much better than I would have expected (if I had allowed myself to expect anything, honestly was going by feel not knowing how the body would react to so many weeks off and all the meds and weight loss that accompanied being so sick). I did decide to walk the last mile since I kept finding my breathing indicating that I was heading towards the anaerobic zone and that was not the plan for the first run back. Not to mention that it was getting pretty steep and hill training isn't the most advised way to start back after a nearly 2 month forced break.
It will be interesting to see how the body feels tomorrow. The legs never felt tired and nothing hurt or was uncomfortable, nor was I breathing hard or feeling out of breath until the last mile when it began to get significantly steeper during this run (this term is used very loosely, while I did not walk a single step prior to the last mile, I also wasn't moving very fast and averaged 10 minutes/mile overall so it would be more appropriate to label what I did today jogging, but this is my log and I will call it whatever I want). I was just so happy to be running that anything short of a leg actually falling off may have gone unnoticed. Several times I caught myself laughing out loud from the sheer joy of running in the drizzle on a cold autumn afternoon. Especially knowing that only a couple of weeks ago taking the trash to the curb resulted in a 5 hour nap and that a couple of weeks prior to that I was afraid to take a nap or fall asleep since, living alone, I wasn't sure if I would wake up or how long it would take for someone to get worried enough to send out a search party. The human body is a really amazing machine.
I think I just might be on my way back!!! (and maybe, just maybe, I will finally begin keeping that training log I have always wanted to keep...but just in case, don't hold your breath)

Mount Cheaha 50k 2011

2011-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

I had never heard of Mount Cheaha 50k until Mike O’Melia began pestering me to sign up last October. I hesitated at first, not knowing what my schedule would look like, but after several e-mails and texts I gave in and registered. Thank you Mike! I am so glad that I was able to experience this race and would recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging 50k.

I have to say that my journey to the starting line of this race was much more challenging than the journey to the finish. From the time I signed up it seemed that things were stacking against me being able to get away for the race weekend. About a week after I registered I realized that the race was going to be held at the end of my three youngest kiddos’ winter break. I wondered how I was going to work out the logistics, but figured I would work out a way, or not, as the race got closer. As is happens, their break was canceled due to missing a week of snow in January so the logistics were looking like they would work out. Then in the month leading up to the race it seems that my world turned upside down. Nothing that happened seemed like it would keep me from attending the event, but it looked like it was going to leave me undertrained and exhausted. I was considering just skipping the race and spending a weekend at home and relaxing. I had been away from home the previous 4 weekends in a row and had managed to put over 3,000 miles on my car in the process (and while I love running long distances, I really really hate driving). All I wanted was a break and a good night’s sleep. So while in Virginia for a funeral I came to the decision that not only was I going to attend the race as a getaway, but that I was going to book two nights in the hotel at the park and get some much needed rest and sleep in the process.

After a brief stop at the park’s hotel to check in and get my key, I drove the couple of miles to race headquarters at the Bald Rock Lodge. I arrived for packet pick-up and the pre-race dinner just as things were getting under way. I saw a few familiar faces, but seeing as how 50k’s tend to draw a more local crowd and I am relatively new to the area, I didn’t see as many as I am used to seeing at ultra events. I did get to meet and talk for awhile with Annette Bednosky. This woman is truly amazing and I was in awe. For those of you who haven’t met her, she is funny and wonderful and even more beautiful in person than her pictures let on. It was really a great thrill to talk with her. She was also a speaker at the pre-race briefing and gave some great advice about having fun while out there.

During the briefing candles had been lit throughout the lodge and I began having an allergic reaction so as soon as the briefing was over I was out of there and on my way to the hotel to remove my contacts and take some allergy medicine and hopefully to get a good night’s sleep. When I arrived back at the hotel and unpacked my gear from the car I realized that I had not remembered to bring several things that I would like to have had with me. I had forgotten to pack my socks, the padded tape for my feet (I have a couple of thick scars on the soles of my feet that tend to blister deep under the scars if not adequately padded) and my hand held water bottle. While not having these could prove detrimental in a 100 miler, I hoped that I could get away from a 50k without too much of an adverse affect. I decided to lay out all the things that I would need in the morning and try to get a good night’s sleep. This was when I realized that I had also forgotten a bowl for my cereal (luckily I had my dog’s food dish in the car and it worked just fine) and my charger for my cell phone. I set the alarm on my phone and hoped that it wouldn’t die before waking me and went to bed for what turned out to be a fairly fitful night’s sleep. Sure enough luck was with me and the alarm did go off, immediately followed by the phone shutting down and refusing to come back on due to a completely drained battery.

I had looked at finishing times for other runners in the past and compared them to some of the other races I had completed and knowing my current state of exhaustion and training I set my sights on an 8 hour finish. I know that this is fairly slow, but I have a couple of very key races coming up in April and an 8 hour finish should be what I needed in my training schedule and should also not tweak the hamstring I injured back in October. My goal was to not aggravate my hamstring and to also stay in the very lowest portion of my aerobic zone, barely breaking a sweat so to speak. I know that this isn’t the attitude I should take at the start line, but it was what I needed at this point in order to reach the goals I had set in front of me. I had decided to wear a watch, which I rarely do on slow training runs, but planned only to use it to know when to take my SportLegs which I take due to the calcium they provide which helps with my osteopenia. With this in mind I headed out to catch the bus to the start line.

This race starts in a parking area by the trail and proceeds to single track trail immediately, so wherever you are in relation to the field of starters when you begin is where you are likely to stay for at least the first several miles. I chose a place near the middle of the field, and as the chords of “Sweet Home Alabama” began was swept along to the trail head. The first portion of this race runs along single track covered in pine needles and is very runnable. It might even be scenic, but with the sun at an angle to hit one straight in the eyes (note to self, next time wear a cap with a bill) and just enough roots and rocks to be sure to trip you if you take your eyes off the trail for even a moment, I wouldn’t know. I kept my eyes on the trail and the feet of the runner immediately in front of me. In fact, the majority of the race would be run in this manner. Before I knew it we were a little over 3 miles in and at the first aid station. Having made the decision to not carry a water bottle I knew it meant that I could not skip any aid station and would have to take the time to drink at least a couple of cups of liquid at each of the 6 aid stations. This would slow me down somewhat, but seeing as how I didn’t actually have a time goal and was not even coming close to racing this event I was resigned to this course of action.

Leaving the first aid station the train of people that I had been in the middle of seemed to have shrunk in size. As I started on the next portion of the course there were only a handful of us running together. It was shortly after the first aid station (I believe) that I tripped on a root or rock and went down. I have been rehearsing in my head what to do if I trip on the trail. Always before I attempt to run my legs back under me and avoid actually hitting the ground. However, this is a great way to tweak the hamstring. Usually it is something that will correct itself within a few steps and at worst you will have a little soreness the next day, but since the tear I have been very leery of doing anything that puts the hamstring at risk so I had practiced in my mind just bending the knees and diving along the ground much that way you would if you were diving for a save during a game of volley ball, landing on the underside of the forearms with the hands flexed upwards so as to be out of harm’s way and to take the brunt of the body’s weight on the upper part of the thighs while protecting the knees. As I tripped my first instinct was to run my feet back under me, but I quickly changed tactics and made what felt like a perfect dive. I must have executed it just like I had envisioned since I have scrapes on the underside of both forearms and the tops of both thighs and no soreness or bruising anywhere. I know that those running near me had to think I was crazy since I was so happy about the fall when I quickly continued running. In fact I was up and continuing in the line of runners quickly enough that only the runner immediately behind me jumped ahead of me. Actually, he literally jumped over me, for which I thanked him several times. As crazy as it sounds this fall was possibly the most positive moment of the run since I managed to execute precisely what I had practiced in my mind so many times.

The rest of the run leading up to the beginning of blue hell all runs together when I try to recall each section. The trail is wonderful. It is mostly single track, and even though there are fields of large loose rocks and many roots just waiting to snag a toe if one takes their eyes or mind off the trail for even a second, it is very runnable, with no portion, whether uphill or down, that is steep enough to bring a competitive runner to a walking pace. This race is a point to point and has an overall gain in ascent so may not lead to a PR performance, but it is very runnable and could nonetheless lead to a great performance. At least that is what a runner will be thinking before they approach the base of “blue hell”.

The lead in to the last aid station is a portion of dirt road that brings one along the edge of Cheaha Lake. It is rolling without ever becoming steep. However, I did take the uphills at a fast walk. I was still sticking to my plan of low aerobic zone and not pushing the pace, making sure that I could take a minimum of 4 strides to each inhalation and another 4 or more to each exhalation. At times it was difficult to stick to this strategy. I have a very competitive streak and part of me wanted to see what I could do if I pushed the pace, but I knew that that strategy didn’t fit into my overall plans, especially since I was coming into the event so worn out. Like the saying goes, “it is easy to be hard, but hard to be smart”. My challenge became to stick to the goal I had set for myself at the onset and not lose patience. This was made harder several times during the race when I would approach an aid station thinking that I should be nearing a certain number of miles only to find out that I was several miles further along. I was definitely not feeling as if I had covered as many miles as I had and therefore knew that I could, and possible should, be pushing a little harder. I was definitely feeling like a slacker. However, I was now approaching the last aid station and knew I only had to keep it reigned in a few more miles. I just needed to concentrate on not doing something stupid and getting myself injured.

Leaving the last aid station I was told I was headed into “blue hell”. This was said with a wicked grin by the volunteers. They looked like they had inside knowledge to something and that I was about to become initiated. I had seen a powerline cut from the road a few miles back that indeed went straight up the side of a mountain and looked like something that should require ropes to attempt. I wondered, and honestly hoped, that it was going to be the “blue hell” that everyone had been talking about. As it turned out we were not going to get to climb the powerline cut, however, the trail that we were going to take to the top was probably about as steep. It was a boulder field that wound its way up the mountain and was marked on the rocks with blue blazes. There were parts that required hands and feet to pull oneself from one rock to the next. At one point I heard voices and looked to my right and only a few feet from where I was ascending there were a pair of guys rappelling. If anyone was actually able to run this I would love to have seen it. I loved every inch of this climb and thought it was by far the most beautiful portion of the course. I love rocks. I made good time on this portion and passed a couple of people. When I topped out there was a guy sitting above the trail on a rock and he commented on how quickly I had come up and how happy I looked. I was happy, that was until I looked at my watch.

I knew I was close to the finish line and I decided to finally allow myself to compute the time I had taken and get an idea about what my finish time would look like. I felt strong. I didn’t feel tired or that I had pushed myself. I felt like the 8 hour goal I had set for myself had to be achieved or even bettered. Then I did the math. My finish time was going to be right about 8:30. I know that I didn’t come in with a great goal, but I have to admit that I was really upset by this revelation. I had thoroughly enjoyed running without giving the time it was taking a second thought, once I would have been calculating and recalculating my pace and projected finish time constantly, wondering if I could shave off a few seconds here and there. This whole race I had only run by feel, enjoying every minute. But I felt like I put in a better effort than what the time was telling me, did this mean that I wasn’t in as good a shape as I had surmised? I jogged the remainder of the trails and walked the paved roads making excuses in my head. The tough few weeks leading up to the race, while not physically demanding, had definitely taken an emotional toll. However, excuses are just that, excuses. The bottom line is that maybe I wasn’t in as good a shape as I needed to be in order to meet my goals I had set for the month of April.

As I approached the finish line Christian Griffith offers a high five and tells me that I have made good time, I hear comments from others that I look fresh and that I have finished in good time. I am smiling as I always do when I am running just from the sheer joy of it, but the smile fades as I begin questioning my fitness level. It is then that Christian appears again and asks what is up. I tell him that I really wanted 8 hours and thought I had it, that it felt like an 8 hour effort. He gives me a strange look then points at the finish line clock which reads 6:32 and asks if I am not happy with it. It seems that I had not bothered to see if my watch was set to the correct time and that it wasn’t 4pm local time when I finished but 2pm. I will definitely not go so far as to claim that I am in better shape than I thought, but maybe, just maybe, I am where I should be physically in order to attempt to tackle my goals in April. Only time will tell……

Training GPS Survey of Mountain

2010-10-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip here instead.

Still babying my hamstring so decided to do some more recon and get GPS tracks of various loops around the mountain. I stopped to chat with hikers a few times and also spent some time looking at the map and figuring out just where I happened to be at times, but it was a wonderful day on the mountain. It doesn't seem to matter how often I run these trails, they always take my breath away with their sheer beauty. Amazing rock formations and beautiful fall colors.
Some day I am just going to go out with my camera and take pictures instead of run (if I tell myself this enough times I will eventually do it :-)).

2010-08-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Last Annual Vol State Race 500k 2010 - The Ever Evolving Rules of the Road According to Abi

2010-07-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

This was not to be my first attempt at running the Vol State. My initial attempt last year ended in miserable failure. I, in no way, mean to even hint that not reaching The Rock is in anyway an indication of failure, just stepping on the ferry puts one safely outside that descriptor. However, my attempt last year was one of failure and was about as miserable as it gets. I dropped out due to starting with stress fractures and developing them into something much worse, going into the race with a knee injury which amazingly the run didn’t fix (duh), having feet that a Hollywood special effects studio would have deemed unrealistic, and being sunburned to the point of looking like a leper for weeks. It took me weeks to fully recover. I have to say, that by employing the rules listed below, this year I not only finished feeling great but was back running and mowing the yard the day following my finish.

Rule One – Weight Kills

My first rule to live by in this year’s Vol State came directly from my experiences last year. Last year I was starting the run unaided with my crew scheduled to show on day two or three. Because of this I carried way too much stuff with me at the beginning, planning to hand it off to the crew once they arrived. Not only is every ounce compounded by the force of running, but it is hot!!! This year I minimized my packing list, at least I thought I minimized my weight list, by day two I would be stopping at a post office and shipping a box home. My initial packing list consisted of a 100 oz Camelbak bladder, a bed roll, blister kit, cell phone and extra battery, flashlight, extra batteries, change of socks, iPod, Solio solar charger for electronics, S!Caps and Sport Legs, a rain poncho, a white short sleeved shirt for sun protection and in case it cooled off at night (yeah, right) and a pair of Crocs (remembering how last year there were times that I just wanted the running shoes off, but wasn’t ready to necessarily stop, and also for going potty when bedded down for the night without having to put my shoes back on), all packaged in waterproof dry bags in case of rain. All of these items were stowed in my GoLite pack. This pack is the most comfortable pack I have ever found (and the evidence in my closet indicates that I have a pack fetish), in fact it is so comfortable that I can easily pack too much. What I didn’t take into account is the fact that, while comfortable, it is hot in that it doesn’t allow for heat dissipation. By day four I would be sending the pack home and replacing it with something smaller and covering less of my body surface.

Rule Two – Address Small Issues and Potential Injuries as Soon as They Arise.

This is also a rule that has it’s origin in my failed attempt of the previous year. Last year my attention was only on the clock and the mileage I wanted to achieve each day. When hotspots arose I decided to only address them at the next scheduled stop. This proved disastrous. My feet literally were a pulpy mess by the end of the first day, hell, they were a mess by the time I reached the first town. To be honest, I did not really know how to treat and prevent blisters last year like I do now, so my attempts to mitigate the mess were sorry at best and as a result I decided to just gut through it. This year, as soon as I felt a hotspot forming, I addressed it at the next opportunity. This worked well for me with one exception, I was along the side of a road with no shoulder and no place to step away from the road or sit down so that I could take care of my foot. I could feel the hotspot and knew how to address it, but could do nothing about it for nearly an hour as I felt it turn from a hotspot to a small blister to a large blister. This was one of the few negative moments for me during the run. I was so frustrated and almost in pity party mode. It was the only time I wished for a crew, just to be able to sit down in a car seat and fix my foot. While I was beginning to feel sorry for myself I had switched to a fast walk in order to mitigate the damage and my hand happened to catch my eye. In my cupped hand the sunset was reflecting bright red and it made it look like I was holding the sunset in the palm of my hand. It was such an amazing moment, and I would have missed it if I had been running since my hands would have been higher and turned at a different angle. I realized that even the low moments have a purpose and a silver lining, had I not been forced to go through the development of this blister I may have missed this moment, and blister or not, I wouldn’t trade it, it was truly amazing.

Rule Three – As A Solo Runner, Planning for Fuel is Imperative and Ever Changing and Has A Profound Impact on Your Pace

My third rule was only a concept prior to running this year and was not something I had an issue with last year. As a solo runner you have to be ever aware of when your next opportunity to refuel will happen. This has a huge impact on how much fuel you should consume prior to starting the next leg of the journey and also whether or not you will be running as you leave on that leg. In my ruck I carried a 100oz water bladder. I did not intend to, nor did I always, fill it to capacity as I was leaving a fueling point. For me, trying to run with a full 100oz was not a smart option. Not only was the weight significant, but the bouncing and chafing would eat me alive. To do the planning you not only have to consider how far it is to the next location and how much you will need to consume due to the intense wet heat, but also what they might have to offer and whether or not the store or restaurant is likely to be open at the time of day that you will be passing through. Ideally I planned to consume and carry only what I needed to get me to the next point without allowing myself to completely tank my blood sugar levels or become dehydrated. For the most part this worked well for me, however, there was more than one instance when trying to carry only what I needed backfired and resulted in slowing down my progress significantly.

The most disastrous of these came on my last night on the road. I had gone into a Hardee’s in Manchester and had a sit down meal during the heat of the day in order to not only refuel but to also get away from the sun and cool off during the worst of the heat. I knew that the next town was less than six miles away at this point and that my dinner destination was only 9 miles past that. As a result I only took enough fluid to get me to the next town. This proved to not be an issue. I made it to the next town in good time and not feeling ready for another meal resupplied with about 60oz of fluid, a mixture of Powerade and water, an ice cream cone, and a Coke. I didn’t linger in this town knowing that the next town was small and that the restaurant and convenience store would likely not be open late. I knew I should arrive between 8PM and 9PM and felt confident that something would be open as long as I got there before 9PM. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I arrived in Pelham to find not only that everything was closed, but that there wasn’t a vending machine anywhere. This was a lowpoint morale wise. I sat on the curb of the convenience store and took stock of my supplies. I had one small package of honey roasted peanuts and about 10oz of fluid to get me through the next seven miles of road and this included the climb up Monteagle Mountain. Knowing I was not likely to find anything before reaching Monteagle I had to revise my plan of pushing through and running most of the distance between the two towns.

Knowing that my stomach was growling and that I was well hydrated at the moment I decided to ration out my supplies. I would eat about 10 peanut halves and take a sip of water each time my stomach began to cramp and growl. While this should get me to the top of the mountain, it would not allow for me to push the pace. I also knew that there were few places to get off the road once I began the climb and that, it being night and the fact that I do not use a light at night, I may not see them so I began looking for a place to take a preemptive nap. I soon found a house for sale with a front porch surrounded by a railing that was obviously empty. There was also a street lamp near enough for me to see as I placed my bedroll and cleaned up after my nap but without it being direct enough to mess with my sleep. I wasn’t really tired or sleepy at this point, planning to reach Monteagle at an early enough time to get a hotel (it would have been only the second such luxury of the race, my only night in a hotel being as I was leaving Lewisburg) and then make the final push in the morning, but I lay down anyway to give my body a rest and set my timer for 45 minutes. I was there probably less than 20 minutes when I felt what I thought was a mosquito on my wrist and I smacked it only to realize it wasn’t a mosquito. Upon further inspection I found that it was a Brown Recluse spider and that it had bitten me. Luckily it was small, but there were two more where my hand had been so I quickly packed up my stuff and continued on.

I made good time climbing Monteagle. While I will always be a single-track trail girl at heart, any mountain will raise my spirits and energize me so I was very happy during this portion despite the supply snafu. However, by the time I reached the top I was dehydrated and my blood sugar was so low that I stumbled into the gas station with the McDonald’s attached looking like I had been on a bender. This gas station was a half mile or so off course by the time I made the round trip but I thought it was necessary since I did not expect to find anything else along the way open. It was funny though since earlier in the day I was not willing to cross the road to get to a restaurant that I preferred, choosing rather to eat a less desirable meal as opposed to crossing the road. By the time I entered, I was not able to speak or think coherently and am sure that I made the girls there a little nervous. Not to mention that I smelled so strongly that I was offending myself. I quickly bought a soda and a supply of various types of peanuts and sat down outside on the curb to drink the soda and check out my feet as I allowed my blood sugar to return to a safe level. After recovering for a few minutes I proceeded to the drive-thru lane and ordered some food and more fluids to resupply before heading to my next destination for the night where I planned to take my final nap in the relative comfort to be found on a picnic table before pressing through to the finish line. While I survived this, I was very glad it was the last night out since I never did get my blood sugar corrected before the finish line. To be honest, it was the second night in a row that I found my nighttime refueling point to be closed when I arrived, I will definitely have to factor this into next year’s solo attempt.

Rule Four – Shit Happens…Sometimes Literally, Just Deal With It and Move On

The next rule is one we should all be familiar with as ultrarunners, but it seems to grow exponentially as the length of the trek increases. We are all familiar with the little things that crop up, a pack strap that becomes annoying, an article of clothing that rubs us in just the wrong way unexpectedly, not having the fueling options of our first choice. When these things happen on a long trek they should be addressed immediately and then we move on. However, sometimes things that we never saw coming happen and they can pose interesting challenges. How we deal with them will set the tone for the race and make a difference as to whether we are simply trudging along or truly enjoying the journey.

My most notable incident of this category happened on my third morning out there. I had made some changes to my pack and the supplies I was carrying and had also gotten breakfast and was intending to find a nice shady place to eat and then begin running, really hoping to make up some time now that my pack was lighter. I was feeling great and very excited about the morning’s run when all of a sudden I had a series of stomach cramps that caused me to double over. My system had been cramping and being an issue for most of the night, in fact I woke to a start thinking I had heard a bear at one point only to realize it was me. I was hoping it was just an adjustment to the long hot days and that it would quickly pass. This was not the case. Without any warning I had a bout of uncontrollable diarrhea. I was very lucky that I was not on the open road when this happened and was able to quickly get out of sight behind an abandoned building and check out the situation. Well, it wasn’t good. In fact it was a bloody mess literally. I was a little concerned about all the blood, new and old until I remembered that I had accidentally eaten a large amount of little red ants the previous morning and that my system was definitely not used to that. How did I accidentally eat a box of ants? Well, it is actually quite funny. I had stopped at McDonald’s for a dinner to go and had added a couple of apple pies thinking I would want them for breakfast while traveling between cities. I had later taken a nap at a construction site in a nice sandy area. I had noticed a few ants in the area, but they didn’t seem to be interested in me so I curled up and went to sleep using my ruck as a pillow. After an hour and a half I woke and decided to continue on. I figured it was a good idea to eat one of the apple pies and took one out of the bag. I don’t use a light of any kind at night on roads and figured my hands were dirty so I opened the box and sort of tapped the pie out into my mouth. I noticed it was really sandy and wondering how I managed to get sand inside the box, inside a bag, inside my ruck I decided to just wash down each bite with water and not chew so I wouldn’t get sand in my teeth. This worked and I didn’t give it another thought until an hour or so after dawn when I decided to eat the other pie. I opened the box and it was a solid mass of ants. I quickly dumped the pie into my hand and proceeded to shake and blow on the pie until all the ants were gone with a “you are NOT getting my breakfast you little buggers” and then ate the pie. It was only an hour or so later that it dawned on me that I had not eaten a box of sand with my pie in the middle of the night, but a box of ants. I figured they were good for a protein boost and that there wasn’t anything I could do about it now so I just kept moving. Anyway, it appears that my system is not geared for the consumption of ants, at least not in the quantity that I consumed and not alive. Oh well, I did what I had to do. I proceeded to cut away much of the lining of my shorts and sort of fashioned a makeshift diaper out of one of the extra bandanas I was carrying and headed out. It was a couple of days before the bleeding stopped completely and I went through several bandanas but it only served to slow me somewhat. I figured that if it didn’t cease by the time I reached the rock I could always get it checked out once I got home.

Rule Five – When You Are Going to be Wearing/Carrying the Same Gear for Hours or Days, Choose Wisely.

I put a lot of thought into what I would wear and carry for this trek. I chose a pair of shorts that had pockets and were moisture resistant, a jogbra that had served me well over several races, my Injinji socks since my biggest blister risk is between my toes and they allow for me to only tape the toes that need it, and a pair of Vasque Velocity shoes. All of this sounds reasonable for a long trek on pavement except for the shoes. They are trail shoes, heavy and solid trail shoes. However, for years they have served me well (of course they have dropped that line now) and they are what my feet like and what usually do not give me any problems with blisters unless I do something stupid. I really fought over the idea of using trail shoes on the road and have tried countless models of road shoes with the same result, I always get blisters if in them for over an hour. In the end I decided on the trail shoes and am so happy that I did. With the exception of the hot spot that I couldn’t treat in a timely manner earlier, I only managed to get a couple of minor blisters and after they had been treated they were good to go and did not give me any further problems. I did not take any optional changes of clothing and while I smelled really bad by the end, I was still for the most part comfortable in what I was wearing. The one exception was the night I left Wartrace, TN. I was damp and felt sticky. No matter how hard I tried, and the fact that I always stripped down before taking a nap and hung my clothes up to dry as much as they could, I was never dry during the race. For some reason this evening was the worst, my backside felt like I had been rolling in nettles. The ruck was long enough to just cover the waistband and top of the shorts and made it worse, causing the damp shorts to be pressed against me. It was a long and very dark road and there was no traffic. At first I decided to roll the shorts down as much as I could, but that caused them to bunch funny between my legs and was annoying. Finally I didn’t think I could take it any longer, but I wasn’t in a place to take a break and I wasn’t sleepy and was moving well. So, I decided to just take my shorts off and run without them. I kept them in my hand and when the rare car would pass I would put my hands on my hips and hold the shorts across my front, or back as the situation called for, then switch them as the car passed me. I did wonder what I would do if two cars approached at the same time, but figured I would figure it out if the situation arose. The situation never arose and after a couple of hours I began to get to an area where there was more traffic and more light and put my shorts back on. By that time the nettle sensation was gone and they felt great again. As for the way I smelled, it was during this same stretch, while not wearing my shorts that I came across a skunk in the road. It was walking along the white line and at first I thought I was hallucinating and that the line was moving. When I realized it was a skunk I gave him a wide berth. Then I stopped. I started thinking about how I would smell if I had been sprayed. Then I started thinking that it would be a preferable smell to the one I was currently wearing. I stood for a few moments. I knew that skunk spray stayed with you, I have been sprayed before, but I couldn’t remember if it was a base or acid and if it would irritate the skin and potentially cause chafing. I pondered this question for a moment before realizing that I couldn’t be sure and that I did not want to risk something that would burn my skin or cause me to break out. So after a moment I decided to not go back and nudge the skunk with my toe deciding rather to preemptively apologize for the way I smelled when necessary.

Rule Six – If At All Possible, Go Into The Event Well Rested, Well Hydrated, Well Fed, Acclimated to the Environment, and Injury Free.

Okay, for me this was a goal that was only partially realized. I was fairly well hydrated, definitely well fed (THANK YOU MOJO BURRITO!!!, home of the world’s best burrito and bowl after bowl of queso that no one cares if you eat with a spoon), and injury free, but not well rested at all. I also misjudged the becoming acclimated to the steam-room-like heat. I had moved about a month prior to the race into my dream home. It was my Grandparents home on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. However, the move included 20,000 lbs of household goods, nearly all in boxes, and an acre of land that had not been tended to in many years. Add five kiddos to the unpacking and brush and ivy clearing and it amounted to many long and exhausting days. I am a very productive woman, but only one woman. I had turned off the A/C in my house and worked in the heat of the day to get acclimated, but there is no getting acclimated to the heat here in the damp south. I now know that the heat compounds with the number of days you are exposed without relief. Instead of becoming acclimated like one does at altitude, when dealing with 24/7 steamy heat one only becomes more damp, more hot, and more drained. It felt like I was being glazed like a rack of ribs ready for a southern barbeque. Even when I would strip down and get into my sleeping bag at night I would remain damp. So, if you are coming to do Vol State, especially if you are doing it solo and unaided, hang out in your air conditioned world and store up your energy, you will be hot and damp and there is nothing you can do about it!!!

Rule Seven – Even The Best Laid Plans Will Change Along the Way, Be Flexible and Don’t Be Afraid to Revise as the Situation Calls For.

I went into Vol State with the goal of five days. I would have to average one 50k run every 12 hours. In my current physical condition, I thought this was doable for me. However, I made this plan when I thought I would be an aided runner. I made maps that reminded me where each 50k mark was and what was nearby so that my crew could have everything in place so that I could rest as needed. Somehow I didn’t think to change this plan once I found out that I was going to be unaided. In fact it was a couple of days into the race and a few snafus before I altered this goal.

After the first 24 hours I was right on target. It felt great and not too pushed. I felt that I had a shot at my goal. Even though I had had a few little incidents that robbed me of time on the first day, I felt that everything was now going to go smoothly and that I would have an easier time on the second day staying on goal. The most notable incident on the first day involved my estrogen patch. I am post menopausal and must wear an estrogen patch. When the patch goes beyond it useful life I have trouble dealing with heat and I do not sleep well at all (however, if you ask close family members they will tell you there are many more side effects, nothing like having a rough morning and having your eight year old walk up and ask if you needed a new estrogen patch to bring on reality). Normally, due to my level of exercise and sweat rate, a patch lasts me about three to four days. Knowing this I changed my patch the morning of the start and carried an extra patch with me. What I forgot was the tegaderm patch that I cover the estrogen with so that it will stay attached. So the first snafu of my race happened when I reached Union City and went inside to a restroom. As I pulled my shorts down, my estrogen patch flipped off and into the toilet. I just stared for a moment and then decided to apply the patch I was carrying with me. I knew that the heat would kill me otherwise and that the little amount of sleep I was planning would not come to me if I did not have the estrogen in my system. I also realized that the patch I was applying had no hope of sticking without a tegaderm covering. I then decided to hurry into the first drug store I came across and purchase a patch. Well, it seems that tegaderm isn’t carried in a regular drug store, I would have to go to a home health supply store. The pharmacist directed me to the location of the one nearest, and while a few blocks off course, I deemed it a necessary pit stop. However, as I was making my way, I came across an emergency room. Knowing that they would have a supply, I decided to pop in and beg my way to a patch. I entered the waiting room and approached the lady at the desk. I proceeded to tell her that, while she worked in an emergency room and heard many strange requests, I may just be making one of the strangest requests she had yet to encounter. I explained about the race and the fact that my estrogen didn’t have a hope of staying put without a tegaderm cover and begged her for one. With a laugh she motioned me back to the nurses’ station where I again explained what I needed and why I needed it. I do have to say that they were quick to supply me with a patch. However, the patches they had required two hands to apply. So here I am trying to pull down my shorts to expose the estrogen patch and get the tegaderm into position with only two hands. Nearby were what turned out to be two medic students there for a clinical rotation. I quickly called one over and told him that I was going to pull down my shorts and that I would appreciate him applying the patch for me. I have to say that he did as he was told without question, but I bet he has a story when he gets back to class.

While the estrogen incident was only the first unexpected time waster on the first day, when running solo and being self sufficient there are too many unexpected time wasters to count. It seems that everything takes more time that you first thought it would. So, by the end of the second day I had revised my plan to a six day race and was feeling pretty confident that it was attainable, as long as nothing too unexpected didn’t crop up. As for letting go of the original plan, that was really hard and I fought it. Instead, telling myself that I would just have to do 35 miles each 12 hours or else have a really good day or night and then go back to the original. As is evident by my seven and a half day finish, this wasn’t the only time I had to revise my plan. I will go into further detail in the explanation of Rule Eight.

Rule Eight – When You Find Yourself Without a Safety Net, Allow Yourself to Dial it Back, Meeting Your Goal is Optional but Surviving to Run Another Day Is Imperative.

As an unaided runner you begin the race somewhat without a safety net. There is no one dedicated to knowing where you are and what you are doing every moment. Not even someone that will really go beating the bushes and questioning store clerks if you aren’t seen or heard from for a few hours. This did not scare me. In fact in many ways I was looking forward to it. One of my favorite parts of training for long races and attending them is that I get to spend hours alone in the woods as if I were the only person on the planet. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a social butterfly and that I love being surrounded by people. I love meeting new people and keep an open door policy at my house for anyone wanting to come train or visit. But there is another side of me that craves and enjoys seclusion just as much. I was looking forward to being alone and to the challenge of figuring everything out along the way on my own. However, I started the race with a cell phone. As long as I had my cell phone I didn’t feel as if I were ever truly out there on my own. Worst case scenario I could call in the cavalry and, with the GPS feature on the phone, tell them exactly where to come collect me. This all changed on Saturday afternoon.

I had brought a solar charger but it had come without the correct attachment to charge my Blackberry. Prior to the Last Supper I had attempted to get to a Radio Shack in time to pick up the required cord. As it happened I arrived just after closing and was not able to get the cord. As I usually do when things don’t go as planned I chalked it up to “wasn’t meant to be” and decided to only turn on my phone for morning and evening updates and incase of an emergency. I foolishly thought turning the phone off would prevent running down the battery. What I didn’t know is that the GPS function continued to attempt to find satellites while the phone was turned off. By Saturday afternoon both my primary and back-up battery were dead. Did I mention that my phone was my alarm clock for my scheduled naps? Anyway, I was very frustrated with the dead phone and the next time that Gary came by I threw the phone and the extra battery into his trunk and said good riddance. What I didn’t consider until later was that I could have stopped somewhere and bought another charger and plugged the phone in while taking breaks or getting food. The reason that I hadn’t brought the charger was that I did not intend to be inside somewhere that might have an outlet long enough to allow the phone to charge. By the time this dawned on me it was too late and retrieving the phone would have switched me into the aided category and if I was going into that category it was only going to be with the addition of a full crew to take care of all my needs, not just to retrieve a cell phone.

It was the next day, after oversleeping the previous night, that it truly dawned on me that I was completely without a safety net. I was pushing myself well beyond my comfort zone to make up for lost time and I got to the point that I was nearly swooning with the sun and heat and almost stumbled off the shoulder of the road. This brought me to a full stop. I suddenly imagined what could have happened if I had fallen down the embankment and become truly injured. My first thought was that I could always call someone to come get me. Then I remembered that I did not have a cell phone. This truly brought a shiver of fear up my spine. While I try not to let my racing impact my family too much and make sure that the kids are doing something fun that wouldn’t involve me anyway when I am gone, I realized that they did expect me to come home alive and relatively healthy. It was at this moment that I let go of any particular finish goal. Rather, I decided to just relax, have fun, and stay within my comfort zone for the remainder of the race. Instead of the to-go line at fast-food restaurants or grabbing what I could at convenience stores to take two meals at a time I began to find local places and sit down and order in and meet and talk to others. The race itself changed from a race with a time goal to a vacation in which I really got to see the country side and meet people that I would otherwise never have had a chance to talk to. However, I still had doubts that my once extremely competitive side would accept this and allow me to live with the decision without any regrets.

The only time that my thinking on this altered was when I was close enough to the finish line at “smell the barn” so to speak. I was coming through New Hope along a road that, while fairly exposed, did offer pockets of shade, albeit often on opposite sides of the road. I was making my way through this section like a soldier in combat going from shady spot to shady spot as if they were safe positions and running the distance between as if I required covering fire. It was the time of day that I usually found a shady spot to get a little relief from the sun, but I was intending to push through to the finish and then rest. It was here that I had my scariest moment of the entire race. I was standing in a shady spot and saw that the next one was on the opposite side of the road. I took a deep breath and made a run for it, not pausing to look for oncoming cars. I was very nearly hit by cars coming from both directions. This terrified me. I noticed a shady spot in someone’s yard next to their mailbox and decided to lay down for about 10 minutes to reclaim my bearings. I had made it a habit to not stop in someone’s yard out of courtesy throughout the trip, but this was an emergency. I set my timer on my watch (purchased along the way just for this purpose) and lay down. I wasn’t there 3 minutes before I became aware that a truck had pulled into the driveway and that the driver was making their way towards me while talking on their cell phone. I was ready to apologize and then beg to lay there for just a few more minutes when I realized that the driver was talking to 911 and had called for an ambulance. I am assuming from the overheard conversation that it was one of the cars that had nearly hit me and that they thought I needed medical assistance. I quickly hoped up and explained what I was doing and that the finishline was nearby and that I really was okay and had recovered and was able to call off the ambulance, but it woke me up to the fact that the race isn’t over until it is over and that I needed to survive the final eight or so miles.

I quickly made my way to the last pit stop before the finish line and spent about an hour and a half recovering before heading up the mountain. The man who owns the store was wonderful and didn’t even seem to think it all that odd that I bought a bag of ice then proceeded to sit on it, lay on it, hug it to me like a child, then rest my legs and feet on it until I was cooled off and ready to run. In fact he cooked me what may have been the best cheeseburger that I have ever eaten and insisted over my protests that I remain there until I could eat at least have of it, this took awhile since my stomach was in terrible shape, but made all the difference for the last leg and as a result I was able to run at least 80% of the final 7 miles and felt great at the finish. I do have to say that even at this time I consider slowing down and staying in my comfort zone and playing it safe rather than pushing it to be the best decision that I made throughout the entire event. I relish the decision and it turned my time out there on the roads into the best weeklong vacation that I have had the joy to experience.

Rule Nine (and the most important one by far) – Wherever You Are, Whatever You Are Doing, Embrace Each and Every Moment and Enjoy Them to the Fullest.

This is my primary rule for life in general and it did not change while out there on the roads. I am often told that I still look at the world through the eyes of a three year old. I stop to smell the flowers and look at the interesting bugs along the way. I take great pleasure in watching the sunrise or the patterns in the clouds. I question everything and the most common thought or word on my lips is “why”. Not that I require an answer, but I love pondering why things are like that are and why things happen as they do. I also live with the belief that every moment you survive is by definition a good moment. That experiences can be divided into two categories, good and learning, and that if you managed to live through it, it truly couldn’t be all bad (a little caveat here, I have been fortunate in my life to never have experienced any truly bad times and at this time feel that the only thing that would fall into that category is the loss of a child, and that is something that I don’t even attempt to think about and would likely not survive). There are times when I will think for a moment that I wished things could be different somehow, but give me another minute and I will be looking for the lesson or the opportunity that will present itself that I might have missed if I had gotten my way. I didn’t start out life this way and it took quite a while and lots of living along the way to get here, but here I will stay. The most amazing part of this outlook on life is the split second when a moment goes from being frustrating or a ‘downer’ to the moment when it reveals itself as an amazing experience. The most memorable of these from Vol State happened in the wee hours of Sunday morning. I had taken a planned nap in a cemetery that my Mother had found during my attempt last year. I was planning to only be there a total of two hours to include set up and repacking. However, this was the first nap without my cell phone which had been my alarm clock. Figuring I wouldn’t oversleep since I usually was packed and ready to go by the time the alarm went off I found a nice comfortable spot to sleep and removed my clothes and draped them across some of the headstones to dry out. I did not have a watch with me and could find the time on my iPod, but couldn’t get the alarm function to work right for me so had fallen asleep hoping to wake in time to meet my goal. This was at a time when I still had a finishing goal to meet. I awoke to a light rain, not enough to soak me, just enough to wake me. When I looked at my iPod for the time I was crushed, I had slept nearly 5 hours. For a second I couldn’t move, feeling the weight of this and knowing that my newly created time goal was just completely blown out of the water. I quickly jumped up and began moving my ruck, sleeping bag, and clothes to the porch of the church in order to keep them from getting soaked. As I was making a final dash for my shorts the bottom fell out of the sky and it began to pour. At that moment I noticed how wonderful the cooing rain felt and threw my arms wide and tilted back my head to maximize the sensation. Before I knew it I was spinning in circles and laughing out loud. The exact thought that went through my mind was, “while there have been and will be moments that equal this, it truly doesn’t get any better than this.” For the next several minutes I danced barefoot and naked around the cemetery laughing out loud and completely giving myself over to the joy of the moment. I realized that even if my race ended right there, or something came up along the way that prevented me from reaching the rock, it would all have been worth it for those few unexpected minutes of pure joy. The rock lost its lure on me and the race became about the joy of the journey. Every step following this was viewed from this perspective and I wouldn’t go back and change a thing.

Strolling Jim 40 miler - May 1, 2010

2010-05-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

For starters, to call this a “race” report is stretching it a little. I definitely was not racing! That being said, this was an amazing event. The organization was first rate and the support offered by both the race staff and the volunteers and crews out there was amazing. Strolling Jim takes place completely on roads, but the scenery is beautiful as the roads roll through rural Tennessee. Definitely a race to put on your to-do list, if it isn’t already there.

I never had any aspirations of actually “racing” Strolling Jim this year. It fell as my 5th ultra in 6 weeks and was only 2 weeks before Massanutten 100 miler so I was going into this race as a final long training run in preparation for Massanutten. A little over a week out a good friend (and adopted big brother) called to say that he would not be attending and graciously offered his number to my son Thomas. Once TJ decided to run my focus turned to making sure he had a good experience. He is a budding ultrarunner and had finished his second ultra two weeks prior when he logged 53 miles during Wood’s Ferry 24 hour. While he enjoys pushing himself, his primary focus right now is having fun out there and I back that 100 percent. I have also found that if he is signed up for an event my primary focus also becomes making sure that he is having fun.

The race started with the blowing of the conch shell (of Barkley fame) by Gary Cantrell. With over 100 runners toeing the starting line it was quite a sight as we headed out of town on a road that was just winding enough for those of us starting in the back to see the front runners taking off and leading the way. I quickly fell in with a few runners around me. I tend to start a little faster than TJ but planned to slow down (even more) a few miles into the race and allow him to catch up with me so we could do the later part of the race together. I know that he will be fine at the beginning and that he is patient enough to start slow and let the body warm up gradually, but I worry about him later in a run and want to be by his side in case he starts having any issues that need to be addressed. I knew that his blisters hadn’t healed completely from Wood’s Ferry and didn’t want him creating new ones if we could do something about it. This was also the first non-timed ultra event that I had allowed him to sign up for and I wanted to keep an eye on him.

Within the first mile or so I fell in with Mike Montgomery from Franklin, TN and we chatted and made our way together through the first 26 miles. We were going slowly and discussing anything and everything as we went along. I felt bad that he was hanging with me and going slower than he had planned, but I really didn’t want to get too far ahead of TJ and even considered turning around and making my way back to him. We would alternate between jogging and walking as the terrain changed, although I will have to agree that aside from one or two little hills in the part of the race called “the walls” that it is a very runnable course and that the little encouraging (said tongue-in-cheek) notes on the road were correct that it was pretty wimpy to walk, especially on the parts that were clearly marked with “this is not a hill”, or that stated “only wimps walk here”. Finally at the marathon mark Mike went ahead and picked up the pace to make his way to the finish line. I was definitely sandbagging, not really wanting to come to a full out stop, and not at the point yet to want to run back to find him, but deliberately moving slowly so that TJ could close the gap between us. When I got to the 29 mile aid station I made the decision to stay put and wait until he made his way there before continuing on.

While waiting at the 29 mile aid station I changed my socks since a few blisters were forming and lay down after a few minutes to wait for TJ to arrive. My personal philosophy during an ultra event is that if you aren’t moving forward, then rest the body as best as the situation allows. It was while I was here that I heard the news that the teenager had either turned his ankle or hurt his foot and that he had accepted a ride to the finish line. I figured that TJ’s blisters had come back and that he had been smart enough to call it a day. Now thinking that my son was waiting for me at the finish line I decided to run the remainder of the race at a faster, but still comfortable, pace. I was definitely developing some hot spots on my feet and possibly even a blister or two. My road shoes do not shed water as well as my trail shoes and I was contributing the blisters to this fact, however, on further consideration I think it was just due to the fact that I wasn’t wearing my beloved Vasque Velocity trail shoes. I am considering to just forego trying to find road shoes that don’t cause me blisters and just run everything in my Vasques. Anyhow, I left the aid station having made the decision to set my focus on the finish line and get there at a reasonable pace.

When you leave the 29 mile aid station you immediately head into “the walls”. This portion of the course is on a small single and a half sized road that winds up and over a hill. It is beautiful and scenic and what I considered the prettiest part of the entire course. I did walk up a couple of the hills, but this had more to do with digging out my Sportlegs capsules and fueling than to do with the steepness of the hill. My theory is that if the road is paved and passable by cars, then it isn’t steep enough to justify walking in an event of this distance. I was picking up my pace and really feeling good by the time I came to the highpoint on this portion of the course. I also knew that, while the course continued to gently roll, it was generally downhill from here.

My time from the 29 mile aid station to the finish line at 41.2 miles was 1:40 and a few seconds. My split for the last 5k was 28 minutes. Consider my overall finish time of 8:55 and I could have crawled the first 29 miles as fast as I “ran” them. Not to mention that for much of the last portion it was pouring rain. The droplets were so big that it looked like hail and it was blowing horizontally. Luckily the wind was mostly from behind when it gusted and so the rain wasn’t too blinding. When I neared the finish line I began looking for TJ. As Mike Melton, the RD, congratulated me I asked where TJ was just as he was asking me how TJ was doing. I told him that I had heard that TJ had injured his foot and had been given a ride back and that he should be here waiting for me. He informed me that a kid had hurt his foot and returned by car, but that it wasn’t my kid. With lightening dancing all around, a tornado watch in effect, and the roads flooding I nearly went into a panic. I quickly made my way over to a group of runners and asked if they had heard anything about TJ and when they replied to the negative I took off for my car intending to retrace the race route in reverse until I found him.

I had left my keys in my car, in a place that wasn’t obvious but that I would remember, at least that is what I thought before heading to the start line. Now it was pouring rain with lightening everywhere and my baby was out there somewhere. As I was frantically searching for my keys Byron Backer drove up beside my car. I didn’t even say hello, just said that I couldn’t find my keys and asked (more like ordered) him to head back out and find TJ and that I would follow as soon as I found my keys. After another minute or so I found my keys and headed out. Checking my phone to see if I had a message from TJ I found that the battery had died and, being a blackberry, it wouldn’t allow me to make a call until it had charged for a few minutes. I knew that TJ was a very smart and responsible kid, I didn’t think he would get into a position in which he was in danger, but I didn’t want him getting into a position in which he became miserable enough that he turned his back on racing. I don’t push him, and really don’t care if he races or not, but he truly loves the sport and I don’t want him to lose that love.

After a few minutes of trying to follow the course in reverse with the water on the road deep enough to cover the course markings my phone rang. When I answered it, it was TJ telling me that he was safe and at a house about a mile from the 29 mile aid station. He said that when the lightening was hitting all around him he took refuge at a house on the course to keep from being struck. I was so relieved and actually very proud of him for being smart enough to come in out of the lightening. The thought that he just might be too smart to make an ultrarunner, seeing as he had had enough sense to come in out of the rain so to speak, even passed through my mind and made me laugh a little. He further told me that he was waiting out the lightening and intending to get back out on the course. I told him that I was very proud of him, but that his race was over. I informed him that he was a minor and that his mommy had just officially pulled him from the event. He accepted this and didn’t argue, but also did not seem relieved. He had gone out smart enough to finish the race and would have kept at it if I hadn’t made him quit. I told him that the lightening wasn’t going anywhere unless he was willing to wait a day or so and that that he had finished 28 miles, officially another ultra distance run and that he would live to race another day. I also reminded him that he had now done two ultra distance events only two weeks apart and that that was quite an accomplishment for a just turned 16 year old.

When I arrived to get him he was on his way to hypothermia with his lips and fingers already turning bluish and his whole body shivering from being wet and cold. We quickly thanked the woman that had given him shelter and made our way to the car. As we were walking to the car we saw a lightening strike hit the field across the road. He picked up his pace and climbed into the car and did not say a single word about me having made the decision to pull him from the event. As we drove the remainder of the course to the finish line we did not pass a single runner even though I had seen more than a dozen on the drive out. I had made up my mind that I would do my best to talk anyone that I passed into accepting a ride to the finish line. It is one thing to be out in a torrential downpour, yet quite another to be out in a lightening storm. Much of the course was now under water with one pond like section that was up to the running boards on the side of my Pilot.

When we arrived at the finish line I let everyone know that TJ was safe and after chatting for a few minutes we began our long drive home. As we made our way home I told him how proud I was of him, not just for completing 28 miles, but also for being smart and responsible. I also told him that DNF didn’t just stand for Did Not Finish, but also for Did Nothing Fatal and that if he intended to pursue a life that included ultramarathons that this would not be his last DNF and that that was okay too. While he has the ability to do very well at this sport, both physically and mentally, I reminded him that we do this for fun, for the love of running and pushing ourselves, and that it wasn’t going to put a roof over our heads or food on the table and that walking away to run another day didn’t mean he was a failure, it simply meant that, for whatever reason, that particular day wasn’t his day to cross the finish line.

TJ's Wood's Ferry 24 Hr Run

2010-04-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that TJ surpassed his goal of 40 miles to log a total of 53 miles. He had an amazing race despite blisters on both feet and a few coordination issues with his mother/crew (she takes full responsibility for these :-)). Below is an e-mail that I sent as as a preliminary race report. A more fleshed out report will be posted as soon as I finish it as well as his own race report.

PMDUC - Proud Momma Delivered Ultra Content

I sent out an e-mail last week announcing that my son was going to run a 24hr race with a stated goal of 40 miles. I am happy to say he logged 53. But, where the proud momma content comes in is how he achieved this goal. Not only am I very proud for him...I am very impressed and possibly a little in awe...

The way he delivered the announcement that "I may have outgrown my trail shoes" only a few hours before the start set his tone for the weekend. He was not complaining or whining, he was just stating a fact. I informed him there was literally nothing I could do about this at this time. He now had only a few choices, run in them, run in his daily school shoes, or don't run. The choice had to be his. He said they were not exactly "too small" but that they "weren't exactly the right size either". He chose to run. I warned him that if they turned out to be too little he would have to pull from the race. They weren't binding his feet, but I do believe they were the biggest factor in his developing blisters on both feet.

I had told him that my only goal for him was that he have fun. This was his 16th birthday celebration after all. And it was his choice to celebrate it this way.

He had decided to start slow, to walk the first part of the loop in order to warm up slowly so he wouldn't crash later. He fully intended to use the full 24 hours provided. A few miles into the race I ran back to see how he was doing and he stated with a look of pure bliss that he loved the course. Seems, like his mother, he prefers single track.

I am going to post both my full crew report and his race report on my blog in the next few days if anyone is interested. Here I just want to give a quick (I know, already a little late for that) report about why I am so amazed at his performance.

By mile 25 he had blisters. I did not know this and had no way of knowing he was waiting at the far aid station for me to come along and tape his feet. I was waiting at the start line for him to come through. By the time he arrived he was hobbling. I told him to let me see his feet. He had a blister on the ball of each foot and also a ring of blisters at the base of each heel. I have had the same manifestation of blisters when my sock/shoe combo resulted in half a size less than I needed. I told him I would tape them and he could give another loop a try or he could call it a day as he had already logged 30 miles. He chose to go on.

I taped his feet and we set out on loop four. I could tell he was in a lot of pain, but not once did he whine or complain. He never uttered a negative word and when I would ask how he was doing he would smile and simply say "good". And he looked good, like he was truly having fun.

He kept this attitude throughout the rest of the race. He never complained, not even a whine, and continued to have a smile on his face whenever asked how he was doing. Being his mother I know how to read him and he remained honestly happy to be out there. And while he did take a couple of breaks in which he napped or sat a few minutes with his feet elevated while he took in calories at the aid stations he did not ever accept the offer to leave the course and take a real rest in the car or tent.

The most amazing moments for me were after we left the aid station at 6:00 am to head for the finish line. He was determined to not go over the 7:30 cut-off, and he was hobbling. He knew that he had been averaging nearly 2 hours on the back section due to his blisters and he was determined to beat this. He was in pain. The tape was helping, but the blisters were getting deeper and new ones were forming. Despite this he ran. He ran beautifully. I was finding it difficult to get far enough ahead of him to get in place to take pictures and shoot video. I was awestruck. I had to keep reminding myself that this amazing young man was my son.

He finished with time to spare and we quickly left to get him food and new shoes. While at Fleet Feet I noticed window decals. I searched through the basket until I came up with one that said "ultra" and one that said "run". I held them up and said they would look great on the car he is getting from his Granny. He smiled and said "that's cool".

Abi (Ultra Runner's Mom)

TJ's 16th B-day Run - Wood's Ferry 24hr

2010-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend my son, Thomas Nagies, will be running the Wood's Ferry 24-Hour Trail Run which is held near Chester, SC to celebrate his 16th birthday and raise awareness and money for Operation Comfort, an organization that benefits our wounded warriors that are receiving treatment and recovering at BAMC on Ft Sam Houston.

If you would like to help him celebrate this milestone check out the website for Operation Comfort at www.operationcomfort.org and, if you feel so inclined, donate either an amount per mile or an amount that you feel comfortable with. Thomas race results (miles completed) will be posted on www.ultrarunningmom.blogspot.com NLT Tue, 20 April. To donate, click on “Contribute –> Make a Donation.” If you want to attribute your donation to Thomas, simply put “Operation Comfort - Thomas Nagies and the Woods Ferry 24 Hour Trail Run” in the purpose box on the website. At the very least Thomas wants to make more people aware of this organization and what they do for our recovering soldiers. He first became aware of the organization while we were stationed at Ft Sam Houston and some of the soldiers would ride past our house on their specially modified bicycles."

Operation Comfort believes there are several different levels to recovery and sports plays an important part in the recovery process. We have developed a comprehensive sports program for our wounded heroes. In our cycling program we have five different cycles that they can ride; hand cycles, trikes, recumbents, road bikes and mountain bikes. Last summer we sponsored a softball team and this year we are sponsoring a softball league, which is six teams totaling eighty three players and our teams play each Thursday night. We have a sled hockey team that has been adopted by the San Antonio Rampage Hockey Team and we are now known as the San Antonio Rampage Sled Hockey Team. Other sports we participate in are amputee surfing, river rafting, and adaptive Nordic and alpine skiing. We also have a program called AutoMotivation where the guys can get out of the barracks and go and work on cars at the Lonesome Dove Land and Cattle Company which is a ranch outside San Antonio."

The Wood's Ferry 24 hour Trail Run (http://ultrasontrails.com/WoodsFerry.html) consists of an 8 to 9 mile (course finalized the day before the race) loop on which Thomas will attempt to run as many times as he can during the 24 hour window. This is Thomas’ 3rd 24-hour race - his previous best was 37 miles in 24 hours. He is aiming at 40 miles, but his mother thinks he will easily reach 50 (but she won't push him).

Thank You

Terrapin Mtn 50k 2010

2010-03-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Terrapin Mountain
27 March 2010
Abigail Meadows
The short report would simply be that this race was a great success for me. It has nothing to do with finishing, nor with placing (I’m not sure I can count that high….) but simply because I set a goal and almost met it exactly! In preparation for the race I studied the course profile, read previous year race reports, considered my current fitness and prep for running mountainous terrain (thank you Copper Canyon for providing steep climbs), considered my after race goals, and looked at previous year times and splits for an idea of what finish time I should aim for. I settled on going for a 6:30 finish. On my laminated course profile with aid station chart on the back I put the time goals for each aid station for a 6:30 finish as well as for a 5:30 finish intending that if I were near that time I should slow down, that I would be pushing harder than I should. I crossed the finish line at 6:25 and some change, almost dead on my goal and feeling wonderful and ready to sweep Bel Monte 50 mile for a little more climbing before calling it a day.
Now for the more detailed race report…
I arrived, checked in, picked up my race packet and was ready to turn in by 9:30 on Friday night. I am starting here because it is relevant. I had planned to sleep in the back of my car. It is very comfortable and a great way to be at the start line without the hassle of setting up a campsite. This all went as planned, the only issue was that I did not plan for the actual temperature. Not to say that I didn’t have enough gear in my car to compensate, but somehow I didn’t plan accordingly and ended up freezing much of the night. This is where my childhood knick-name becomes appropriate. I was a complete dumbass… I woke in the middle of the night with my feet freezing and did not manage to get my left foot to warm up until nearly 2 hours into the run. Of course my race bag had fleece pants, extra socks, hand warmer packets,… but did I roll over and pull them out, no… I wouldn’t even have had to sit up, they were within reach the whole time. So when it was time to wake and get dressed, the toes and pad of my left foot were completely white and numb with cold. This would come into play during the early part of the race and almost make me reevaluate my goal…almost…
I attended the prerace briefing at 6:30, where I finally meet Jennifer Nichols in person. This was something I was really looking forward to and it was even more wnonderful than I hoped. She is so bubbly and sweet and enthusiastic, I don’t think anyone could spend a moment in her presence without being energized and happy. Not to mention that she is an incredible runner and will be a person to watch in years to come. Also, she is a fellow SWVA girl!!!, having Grow up in a town less than an hour from my childhood home.
As time for the start draws near we line up at the start line and wait for the gong that signals the start of the race. I had decided to run this event with my Nathan Vest with bladder since there were to be no drop bags or crew access according to the race site info. It wasn’t so much that I needed the extra water or that I needed to carry any supplies with me as for the fact that I knew I was going to want to shed some clothes as the day warmed and I needed a place to stow them. I knew that I would be a little slower due to the weight, but felt it was worth it in the long run. Besides, I will be running in this vest in many of my future longer races and needed the practice and wanted to become more familiar with it in order to know exactly how I would want to configure the straps and contents.
The race started out on pavement, but this was a very short segment, I am thinking less than half a mile, then it proceeds to a dirt road not returning to pavement until we retrace this portion as the last section before the finish line. I am not going to go into a very detailed description of the actual course other than to say that it is mostly dirt roads, many of which are current or past forest service or logging roads with a good amount of single track also thrown in. A look at the course profile will prepare one for the race very nicely. I would say that there are only a few places on the course that aren’t runnable due to footing or terrain given adequate training. I will also say that anytime you come upon a stream crossing, it is of no use to try to keep your feet dry, they are going to get wet repeatedly and all that trying to find a way to cross without getting wet is going to do is make one frustrated and possibly lead to a slip into the water or mud anyhow. If you are running this race, prepare to get your feet wet.
Once you get to the end of the dirt road it is a steep climb to your first visit to Camping Gap aid station at the 4.1 mile mark. This is where the half marathon runners take a different route. When I arrived here I was surprised to find so many vehicles and crew members. I asked if I could leave my Nathan Vest and my shirt with someone to possibly pick up on a further trip through this aid station. By this time the mouth piece and tube leading from my bladder were frozen so drinking wasn’t an option and I didn’t relish carrying the extra weight on the upcoming downhill run. I was quickly helped and shed my gear and grabbed some Nuun and a handful of chocolate and was off for the long downhill section of the run. This section is very runnable as it is on a wide and well groomed road and goes for about 5 miles I believe. I was running very well here and feeling good, it seems all the mountain biking had more than prepared my quads to handle the downhills. However, my left foot was feeling as if my sock was bunched under the ball of my foot and possibly between a couple of my toes. Not wanting to stop and fix it I tried flexing my foot and toes in hopes that it would work itself out. When this did not work I decided that I had to address the issue so as not to get a blister. I have several races between now and Massanutten and was not willing to leave this race with a blister if I could prevent it. Here is where the first and only real time gobbling snafu of the race happened. I had spent more time at the first aid station than planned getting rid of gear, but figured the time would more than be made up since I was now running much lighter. The time snafu was trying to get off my shoe to check my sock. It seems that my triple knotted shoelace (triple knotted since I had somehow forgotten my gaiters that, as well as keep dirt and other crap out of my shoes, also serve to keep them securely tied) had frozen solid. The lace was one solid block of ice that had adhered to my shoe and my fingers were too frozen to pry it loose or work it free. After several minutes I finally managed to work my foot out of my shoe without untying it and then proceeded to peel off my Smartwool sock to check on my Injinji sock liner. As far as I could tell there were no wrinkles and no reason that I should have felt like they were bunched up other than the fact that my foot was still partially frozen from the night before. I quickly replaced my sock and smoothed it down and then began the task of untying the frozen laces. More time spent trying to get frozen hands to work on the frozen laces then I gave up and went to work with my teeth breaking the ice and untying the shoe. I am sure I had to look a sight standing on the side of the road with my shoe in my mouth as the other runners went by. By the time I had gotten the shoe untied, back on my foot, and retied over 20 minutes had elapsed. As I began to run again I wondered if I should possibly reassess my goal time, I didn’t make any decision at this time instead knowing that I had set a very realistic goal with some padding and I thought it might be fun to try to see if I could get back on track and make up for the lost time over the remainder of the race. Addressing the sock issue was worth it though since I finished the race with no blisters or foot issues.
The race continued as planned without any issues except for the added time spent in aid stations drinking and eating a little more than originally planned due to not carrying my water bladder until I had to make use of the trailside facilities. The only thing I do not like about compression tights is the fact that they have to be pulled down in order to take care of business. Not a big issue, just a minor annoyance unless your hands happen to be frozen and not working properly. Knowing that I would need a minute or so I waited until I got to a portion of the trail where I could see a decent distance in both directions, it was an out and back section, and I found a place by the side of the trail. Pulling the tights down did not pose a problem, but when I went to pull them back up my hands were too frozen to get a good grip. I kept grabbing the waist band and trying to pull and it would just slip between my fingers and thumb. I couldn’t hold on. So here I was with my behind stuck out in the air and my hands shoved into my armpits as I tried to thaw them enough so that they could maintain enough grip to pull the tights back into place. It took a couple of minutes to get them back up and by the time I did I was doubled over laughing thinking how funny I looked and hoping that no one would chose that time to pass me. I could only imaging trying to explain, or worse, asking for help!!!
When it comes to running (or mountain biking), I am a single track girl. I do not like roads, even those that have fallen into disuse and are in reality not much more than very wide single track. Due to this I was a little disappointed in much of the terrain of the race. Not to say it isn’t an excellent race and a very challenging one, it is just that I am truly happiest on single track. This is where the section from the 3rd visit to Camping Gap Aid Station at mile 22.1 comes into play. It is truly very challenging and steep, first a long and technical climb up then an equally steep and technical run down. I found myself giggling out loud more than once on this portion and decided that all the road running was worth it just to get to do this section. It was wonderful and rocky and winding and steep. I was in heaven and this is where I most likely made up the time spent dealing with my frozen hands and shoes. This is also the section that includes Fat Man’s Misery. I had read reports and was expecting a narrow passage, but it was even more narrow and difficult than I had expected. Not only do you have to drop down several feet into the narrow, and very slippery, passage, but there is a rock hanging down at the exit that required me to squat down as far as I could go and to wonder if people taller than myself had to literally get horizontal in order to make it through.
The rest of the race went as planned and was mostly downhill with a few rolling hills thrown in and I felt good the whole time as I incrementally made up for lost time and finished almost exactly on my planned goal. Not only had I made my time goal, but also my goal of not feeling tired. I crossed the finish line and grabbed a plate of delicious BBQ from the post race meal as I waited for my gear that had been left at Camping Gap to be brought back to the start-finish area. I called home to report in with the last of my phone battery and then prepared to sweep the last part of the nearby Bel Monte 50 miler course with David Snipes on my way back to North Carolina.
I would definitely recommend this as a great 50k trail race. The volunteers were wonderful and the race was very well organized. Not to mention that the finisher’s medal is really cool!!!

March 26, 2010

2010-03-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

No training this morning...slept in until 6am. A few things to finish up around the house then pack the car and head out to Big Island, VA for tomorrow's Terrapin Mtn. 50k. The great thing about a 50k...no drop bags to worry over!!! Just decide what to wear and off I go...

March, 25 2010

2010-03-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

Started the day with a core workout and a short run..just long enough to keep limber and wake up...tomorrow will be spent driving to Big Island, VA to sign in and get ready for Terrapin Mtn 50k.

Today will be an exercise in endurance training even if no other workouts are managed to be worked in...class for 5 hours including a Cardiovascular Exam...one kid to the DMV for his learners..my daughter's final performance of her play followed by the cast party...then on to hockey with one little one and baseball with another...motherhood is often rougher on the endurance scale than an ultra run...at least when running I don't have to play ref.......

March 24, 2010

2010-03-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

Okay...today I have been a total slacker...I did not get up and run as planned...stayed up too late and as much as I love running, I decided to spend the morning studying for today's Digestive System exam...

I did take my children and participate in the Walking School Bus that we do on Wednesday and that was just enough outside time to really wake up...now back to studying...

I really hope that I will post later today that I took the time to get in a good run and maybe some mountain biking...otherwise I will really feel like a slacker...

March 23, 2010

2010-03-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

53 training days left before Massanutten, my next 100 mile race...

Of course I am still on the waiting list for this race, but I fully plan on going and should get a chance to run, if not, I will happily be a volunteer in what ever capacity I am needed and hopefully will find someone in need of a pacer...

This morning's training run went great. I have trained at such a slow pace for so long I had wondered if I could still turn on some speed for any given time. Well, it seems I can and that it still feels good. I am in no danger of breaking any records...I am a long distance runner so everything is relative, but I managed a tad over 8 miles in just under an hour and feel energized and ready to tackle the day. I still have a pilates class and a session in the gym this morning followed by an hour or so my my mountain bike but am feeling ready to go...then will spend most of the afternoon studying for tomorrow's Digestive System Exam...

August 17th - I am a college student again!!!

2009-08-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

It seems that if I were to think about the question of what I want to be when I grow up and look at all the evidence the answer would be a student.

Today I started my first day of classes that will lead me to becoming an RN. As I write this I am exhausted. The exhaustion has nothing to do with school and even though I know I should sleep soon I am sure I will at least read and take notes on the first chapter of my new textbook. My exhaustion stems from the last couple of days. Saturday we had roughly 30 people to dinner and then after about 3 hours of restless sleep I left for a long day of traveling. I was fortunate to have a wonderful companion, but it was still about 17 hours of driving between the two of us, a few meals, a walking tour of Auburn's campus, and the retrieval of my three youngest children. We arrived home at a little after 5am and then after a short nap my day began.

My training has been abysmal and I am going nuts not being able to run like I want to. The bike is helping, but it doesn't quite satisfy the desire to run. I will see my new surgeon on Wednesday to see what we need to do to get me back to running. I was assured he is quite the athlete so he should understand me and my desire (need) to get back to training racing as soon as possible. I have had to cancel a race that I have been looking forward to for a year now, a race where I have unfinished business, and it is really messing with my mind not being able to go. I hope to use this time to completely heal all the little injuries that have been plaguing me and to become stronger and faster then ever. And that detail/plan is what leads me to this uncharacteristic post.

I am again going to try to update and journal my training and progress on a regular (dare I even hope for daily) basis. My current plan is to bike to and from school (5 miles each way, so not a real workout) four days a week with a session in the weight room at the school each of those days. I will also be running as much as allowed, but I will follow my doctor's lead and recover from this correctly. I intend to get up before the kids and either run, bike, do a pilates session, or crossfit at least 5 days during the week and maybe do a kid related outdoor activity one day of each weekend. I would also like to do a long ride (run when allowed) on the day I have free from class. This should provide me with enough training to stay sane without having to take any time away from the children and my husband. I hope to have one day a week be a rest day (but I do define that term loosely). I say I hope to have a rest day, and I will ask for help enforcing this rule, but I do not do rest days well. My favorite rest day in Texas was to walk about 8 to 9 miles to the store to shop for groceries and do all my errands and then carry all the purchases home in a ruck sack on my back during the hottest part of the day for a round trip of about 18 miles. I define this as a rest day, my husband does not.

Okay, enough rambling. I don't know if anyone follows on a regular basis, but if you do and are interested, you are welcome to badger me to make posts and keep this up. I have put my intentions out there and now just need to follow them.

2009-07-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

2009 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run
By Abigail Anne Meadows

I arrived at the ranch for packet pick-up and the race briefing and dinner mid afternoon on Friday May 15th. I was looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and to putting faces to names of other runners that I know only through mutual acquaintances or the e-mail list I am a member of. When I got to packet pick-up and looked around at all the runners and crew already assembled it felt like I had crashed a family reunion. There is such a sense of family among the runners, even moreso than I had noticed at other races. I began to understand what a friend said when he commented that Massanutten would get in your blood and you will return year after year. I also began to wonder if I was the only person that was not a member of VHTRC or a returning runner. It didn’t take long before I was welcomed to the family and learned that I was not the only “virgin” there. Soon it was time for the pre-race briefing. I wanted to have a good seat and listen closely since it was my first year and I was running in the Stonewall Jackson Solo Division. I had not originally signed up for this division and thought, almost until race day, that I would have a crew and a pacer, but this wasn’t to be the case. I was a little scared about this since all the reports and info I had read on the race highly suggested a crew and pacer if possible and it seemed that everyone that heard I was in the solo division asked if I was crazy and said they wouldn’t take that route. Being used to these types of comments about my state of mind, I didn’t let them scare me too much. I knew that I had two options, run unaided or not run. The choice was obvious.

I listened to the briefing while icing my left knee. Four weeks before the run I had an acute injury of my left leg while sprinting (I know, what business does an ultrarunner have doing sprint repeats). It seems that I managed a partial tear of my medial gastroc head, a rupture of a Baker’s Cyst, and the MRI revealed a decent stress injury to the tibia. Since the injury, I had tailored my training to allow the most healing with the least loss of fitness. The race would be the test of this plan. In all honesty, my ortho did not think the race was the best idea and said that they would be much more comfortable if the race were a few weeks later. Seeing as how I had made it off the wait list and I was going to be in the area anyhow for a family event I decided to give it a try. Worst case scenario I wouldn’t make it. While I would not be happy going home with a DNF, it wouldn’t be the first time I had to pull out of a race and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. In some ways it took all the pressure off. I was unexpectedly without crew and injured and probably in a position in which no one thought I would finish. In my opinion I was in a win-win situation. Best case scenario I came home with a buckle, worst case I got to spend a day running in the mountains with a fabulous group of people. There really wasn’t a downside that I could see.

The pre-race briefing concluded and I went to the car for my drop bags. I had packed a drop bag for each aid station, although in a few all I had was a bottle of Ensure and a Kashi bar. While I have completed several ultras, I only had 2 official 100 mile finishes under my belt. My body and muscles are trained and up to the 100 mile distance, but I have had to contend with stomach issues in every event longer than 50 miles and occasionally at the 50 mile distance. My biggest concern was getting in enough calories without getting an upset stomach. I was going to be trying Succeed S!Caps and Clip 2 for the first time during this event. I did not like going into an event with an untried strategy, but due to the injuries I had not been able to test out the new strategy and figured that my stomach issues certainly couldn’t be any worse than with the old strategy so, why the hell not?

I quickly got my drop bags to the designated areas and then grabbed chow before going back to the hotel to get a few hours of sleep before the pre-race check-in. I slept okay, not great, but it ended up being better than I had slept all week. Due to life circumstances I had only one good night’s sleep in the previous week, with two nights only measuring in at about an hour and forty minutes each, one night of four hours, and one of six. I knew that I was probably going to be sleepy and had included caffeine as part of my race strategy. I was going to start the caffeine around 7 pm with only a little at a time so as to not overload the system or cause stomach issues. It turned out that sleep was the only really negative issue that I had to deal with during the entire race.

I arrived at the race headquarters shortly after 4am and immediately found the check-in area. I checked in, then I made my way to the breakfast buffet to see if there was anything else that I wanted to eat or drink before taking off. A couple of bites of fruit and I was ready to head out to the start line. I was amazingly calm for the start of the race. My whole goal was to run my race and not get caught up in anyone else’s. I wanted to start very conservatively so as to give my knee and other injuries adequate time to warm up. I know that it often takes me up to 20 miles to finally feel completely warmed up and fluid. I had decided to start with a handheld flashlight and one handheld bottle and would pick up my waist pack at Veach Gap Aid Station so I could add a second water bottle before the day began to get too warm.

The race starts and we all head out onto the blacktop to run the first 2.4 mile portion. I do not like running on pavement, but in a race this size it allows for the field to spread out nicely so that we aren’t bottlenecked immediately on a single track trail. The length to the turnoff to the trail is also just right to let the field sort themselves out. I arrived at the MT Trailhead turnoff and there was Keith Dunn filling water bottles. It was wonderful to see a smiling and familiar face. I allowed him to refill my water bottle and then I headed into the woods.

As soon as we headed into the woods we began the first climb of the race. It is a major climb. This section is 6.3 miles and consists of going up for the first half and then coming down the second. It was here that I was introduced to Massanutten’s famous rocks. Growing up in the mountains of Virginia and Tennessee I thought I knew what I was getting into with the rocks. I vastly underestimated the rocks of this race. There is a reason that they are legendary and that the race motto is ‘Massanutten Rocks!’ It isn’t just that there are rocks of every shape and size, but that there isn’t a foot fall that doesn’t in some way land on or is altered by the placement of these rocks and it seems that none of the rocks show a flat side. Not complaining here, in fact I loved it. The greater the challenge the happier a girl I am. I was smiling and occasionally laughing out loud at the sheer joy of running in these mountains. I currently live in south Texas and I do not have access to any mountains, it is a drive just to get to the “hills” of hill country. For climbing training I have had to rely on the stair climber in the gym. I love mountains. I need mountains. The best I can describe it is that I am like a rechargeable battery and my charge comes from being in the mountains. I can survive outside of them for a while, but I have to get back to the mountains so I can breath again. To be completely accurate I not only need to be in the mountains, but I need to be running in the mountains. I knew I was looking at more than 30 hours with my only task being to run in the mountains. I had to be the luckiest woman alive. Throughout the race, as the weather changed, the sleepiness took over, the cold invaded me to the bone, I never for an instant lost this feeling of being the luckiest person in the world. This is one of the many reasons I run ultras, I get to selfishly do nothing but run for a period of hours. What could be better? Oops, here I go on a tangent, back to the race. It was just as I was completing this first ascent that I saw the first of many breathtaking views. I was on a ridgeline and the clouds had settled in the valley below. This is what it is all about, pushing the body and being rewarded with not only the feeling of being completely alive physically, but also the views that can only be found when on foot in the mountains.

I arrived at the Shawl Gap Aid Station at 6:46am and quickly grab my bag to down an Ensure, grab a Kashi bar, and drop-off my flashlight. Leaving this aid station is quite unique in this race in that you leave going down hill for a stretch. Although I have the course profile laminated and on my person, I have not yet taken note of the fact that all aid stations lead to a significant climb. To be honest I prefer going uphill. I am a strong climber and not such a good downhill runner. I am working on the downhill part of running. I enjoyed running downhill during this section despite the fact that I had just filled my stomach. It is a short 3.1 miles to the Veach Gap Aid Station consisting of the first half being downhill and the second half being a climb that will put the aid station at a slightly higher elevation than the one that we just left. This was thoroughly enjoyable and the time passed quickly.

I arrived at the Veach Gap Aid Station at 7:23am and made my way to my drop bag. This is where I had put my waist pack and a second bottle that I would be filling with Clip 2, of which I had planned to drink approximately one per hour. I poured the powder in and filled the bottle with water and was off, allowing the drink to mix as I ran. I had yet to taste this drink and was hoping that it would agree with me. I do not have a sweet tooth and tend to gag on any sport drink or soda most of the time, with the exception that I will take in half a cup of soft drink once in a while during a race as long as it still had it’s fizz. I thank the aid station volunteers for being so helpful (they were wonderful throughout the race, where do they find such wonderful people, if you ever doubt that there are truly good, decent, giving people then go to an ultra and your faith in humanity will be restored, you will be humbled and amazed, you will find a group of people that are giving of their time to be out in the elements waiting on runners hand and foot regardless of the weather for an extended period of time, they are all truly saints and no amount of thank you's can convey how they make me feel). Heading back out onto the course, the next section is 5.1 miles and begins with a steep climb after which there is a sharp downhill section followed by more up then down, much like all of the course. There is very little of this course that isn’t a steep climb or a steep descent. I was loving every minute of it.

I make it to the Milford Gap Aid Station at 8:36am. I wasn’t doing any major changes to my gear while there so I made a quick refill of my bottles and downed another Ensure before taking off towards the next aid station. This is the first long section of the race as far as distance between aid stations goes, it is nearly 8 miles in length. I had thought about picking up my CamelBak here, but after studying the course profile and realizing that after a short climb immediately following the aid station that the entire distance consisted of downhill running decided to place my CamelBak at the next station. My CamelBak and I get along fairly well on climbs, but it tends to chafe me on the downhills. This portion of the course was as beautiful as all the rest and was run pretty quickly. I had pictured being able to run the downhills fairly easily, but the placement of the rocks did not make this the case for me. As soon as I would start to feel like I could really let go and step it out there would be some oddly placed rocks that would make me slow my footing. I probably could have gotten frustrated here, but did not. I enjoyed the change up in pace and all went well with only one little fall that wasn’t even really worth mentioning. No soreness, no loss of skin. I felt like I was making pretty good time as I headed to the next aid station and what I had heard described as possibly the most difficult climb of the race.

I arrived at the Habron Gap Aid Station at 10:05am. I realize that it has taken me 5 hours to run less than 25 miles. I had not come here with the intentions of setting any land speed records and was happy with the time considering that I felt wonderful and energetic and that, if anything, I had more energy than when the race started. Since I have a history of having nausea issues late in a race and difficulty taking in calories in the second half I wanted to both go out conservatively and to make good time. My strategy for this was simple, minimize aid station time and keep moving. Grab food to eat on the climbs and get in and out as quickly as possible. I downed another Ensure, donned my CamelBak which I had already packed with my drink packets and food and was off. As I headed up the mountain I realized that I somehow forgot to burp my CamelBak. This is not a big issue, but the sloshing sound does tend to annoy me and I am not entirely sure that the extra movement caused by the air bubble doesn’t in some way contribute to the chafing. Shortly after leaving the aid station I decide to burp the bladder by basically bending my self in half with my butt up in the air and sucking the air/water from the tube until no air remains. It was then that a runner approached and seemed quite concerned that I was not okay. It must have looked bad upon approach with me bent double and spitting to the side, I am sure they thought I was losing my stomach. I assured them I was fine and was quickly back to the task of climbing the mountain. My legs felt strong and I did not get tired or ever feel like I needed a break from the climb. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I was amazed at the strength in my legs since I was definitely not getting any mountain training in back home. Instead of this climb ending in a summit and immediate descent, it runs along at a relatively constant elevation, this does not mean flat by any stretch of the imagination, but no long climbs or descents. I was very happy when the ridgeline was over and I could begin my descent. It wasn’t that I did not like being on the ridgeline, but the footing made me feel like I was moving slower than I should be for the relatively flat portion of the course. It was not a portion that I was able to run with my current training since I was having to be very careful of my footing and I was pretty frustrated with my self for the pace. I was still feeling strong, but I was also being very careful of my knee and leg and waiting for them to start giving me problems. Luckily they never did and I made the 9.5 mile portion in a little under 2 and a half hours.

I arrived at the Camp Roosevelt Aid Station at 12:32pm very happy that I had followed the advice of a friend and fellow runner to add the CamelBak to this portion of the run. The day had gotten quite hot and very humid and much of the section I had just completed was exposed. I had timed it perfectly and finished both handheld bottles and my CamelBak within sight of the aid station. As I passed through the aid station I had my CamelBak refilled, also refilling my handheld and adding a Clip 2 for fuel. I made sure to down an Ensure and grabbed another Kashi bar for the trail. I had planned on leaving a handheld here, and debated with myself for a moment before placing it in my drop bag since it was still really warm. But I knew that I had another stowed in a drop bag at the Visitor’s Center for after the long portions that would be run in the heat of the day. Once I made the decision to stow the bottle I was off without a second thought. One thing I am good at is that once I make a decision I do not second guess myself or beat myself up over it. This next portion of the race involves a steep ascent followed by a steep descent. It is only 5.6 miles long, but nothing to be taken lightly (actually, nothing on this course is to be taken lightly, they are nearly all steep and wonderful).

I arrived at the Gap Creek Aid Station at 2:03pm after a very steep one plus mile downhill stretch. This is the only aid station that we visit twice and I had two stops worth of items in one bag. I had put my flashlight and headlamp in this bag since I wanted to make sure that I would have them when it got dark. I didn’t expect to need them before at least the Visitor Center Aid Station if not the Picnic Area Aid Station but was not willing to be caught out without a light on these rocky trails without much moonlight and with a pretty good chance that it would be raining. I drank another Ensure and got out of the aid station as quickly as possible. The next section of the race is 8.4 miles long and includes what may be the longest relatively flat portion of the course, I say relatively flat since there is no flat, just no big climbs. As I neared the top of the climb that leads directly out of the aid station (many false summits on this portion) a couple of runners fell in behind me. I offered to step aside and let them pass but they insisted that they were happy where they were. At the top of this climb we have to run along the ridgeline for about four miles and this was for me the hardest part of the course. The footing took absolute concentration. You could not look away from the trail for a second, but at the same time you had to be looking ahead if you wanted to make good time of it since none of it was flat, it just rolled gently for what seemed forever. I was very happy to have my CamelBak so that I could drink without having to tilt my head back or take my eyes off the trail. I don’t think I could describe any of the scenery for this part other than the rocks that were under my feet I was concentrating so hard on keeping up my momentum. I knew it was due to start raining later and that the rain would make this a slower race due to many of the trails being the run-off path for the water. It was here that I once again offered the pair of runners that had fallen in behind me to pass. While I definitely do not like to follow closely behind someone on difficult footing, I am not a big fan of someone being right behind me, I always feel that I am slowing them down or that I am in their way. They insisted that they were perfectly happy and that they were in heads down hiking mode and their current universe consisted of my hot pink gaiters and the foot placement that I was making. It wasn’t the physical difficulty of this portion, but the mental aspect of absolute concentration and the fact that I knew I should be able to cover this type of terrain faster than I was moving at this time, that posed a slight annoyance. I was not tired physically, I was just being very cautious. We finally began the descent that would lead us into the Visitor Center Aid Station. I started thinking about what I wanted to accomplish when I reached the aid station and before I knew it I was there.

I arrived at the Visitor Center Aid Station at 4:28pm. This was as close as we were going to get to a midpoint in the race. I was happy with my time and with my body. I was in no pain or physical discomfort other than a blister on my foot that had developed early and torn itself open so it was not going to retain any fluid. I decided to just ignore it. As for the injuries that I came into the race with, they were nowhere to be felt. I was a little worried about not having any pain, but it wouldn’t be the first time I had gone into a run injured and have the injury disappear somewhere around 40 miles and never return. My theory is that it finally gives up it’s battle of the wills. I had put my tights in the drop bag for this station and knew that I would need to change into them or carry them. The worst of the heat for the day was over and I figured that I had better put them on rather than try to carry them and change later. It isn’t easy getting into compression tights under any circumstances, and being sweaty, covered in dust and dirt, and a little swollen from running nearly 50 miles doesn’t make it any easier. As I ran into the aid station I asked if there was a place to change or someone willing to step to the side of the clearing and hold up a towel or blanket for me. There were several volunteers to hold up a towel or make a wall for me, but then I was offered the bed of a truck that had a camper on it so decided that that would be the best bet. I didn’t care and would have had no hesitation to just change in the field, but did not want to make the other runners and their crews and families uncomfortable. I changed out of my shorts into the ¾ length tights more for their compression feature around my knee and calf than for any warmth (I would be grateful for the warmth later) but decided it was too warm to change into the long sleeve top I had brought. Here I was stumped for a moment. I did not want to leave the top, the gloves and the heavier rain jacket, but did not want to put them on just yet. There was no room in my waist pack for the items, and I did not want to carry them in my hands since I had planned to dump my CamelBak and would want a couple of water bottles. I decided to remove the bladder from my CamelBak and then stuff the clothes that I would be taking along into the bladder well of the pack. This worked perfectly and I was quickly ready to hit the trail again as soon as I had ingested a few calories. It was here that I picked up my first Hershey Bar out of my drop bag. When I picked it up I realized that it had melted completely. At first I was disappointed since I had been looking forward to it. After a seconds thought I realized that I could just tear off the corner and eat it like a packet of gel. WOW, this was one of the most amazing things I had ever put in my mouth. The consistency was exactly that of gel, and the taste was amazing. I was tempted to just lay down and savor the experience, but knew I needed to get moving (not to mention that I imagined just how odd it would look if I lay down in complete ecstasy on the ground in the rain with my eyes rolled back in my head and sighed with pleasure, it made me a little afraid I might get pulled for being mentally unstable).

You leave the Visitor Center Aid Station and go directly into a major climb, it takes you to the highest point of the race, twice since it is an out and back shaped like a big lollipop. My legs felt strong and I was making good time, but it still took me nearly an hour and a half to go the first 3.9 miles to the Bird Knob Aid Station. I had been told to be sure and take the time to look at the views from the top. This I did, but was not as impressed as I had been at some earlier views. You could see signs of civilization from these views and I prefer to not be able to see what we have done to the land if I can keep from it. It was quite beautiful though and worth stepping off the trail to admire. After the view you have a nearly one mile portion that is downhill to the aid station. This passed fairly quickly. I was still feeling good with no pain from my injuries. All was going well. I checked in at the aid station and was gone very quickly. It was on the way back to where we link up with the stick portion of the lollipop that the sky finally looked like it was going to open up and drench us. I decided to change into my long sleeve top and lightweight rain jacket before this could happen. I made sure that there was no one close behind me and stepped to the side of the trail (literally right to the side) and took off my top, it was here that I discovered that I didn’t take into account that my top had a built in jog bra and I had not packed another. No big deal, my breasts are perfectly suited for long distance running and I only wear the jog bra for the extra storage it provides. The next thing you know I am standing on the trail bare from the waist up except for a heart rate monitor strap. I quickly pulled on my new top, lightweight rain shell, and rain hat and shoved everything else back into my pack and before I can take a single step the bottom fell out of the sky and it wasn’t just raining, it was pouring. I had to smile and give myself a little pat on the back for my timing here. It was dead on. Not that I mind getting drenched, in fact I love running in cold pouring rain, nothing makes me feel as alive, but I knew I was going to have issues staying warm through the night and knew I needed to be smart here. From here to the Picnic Area Aid Station is all downhill and it was nice to see some of my fellow runners and friends as they headed up the hill towards Bird Knob. I felt energized and happy as I made my way to the aid station.

I arrived at the Picnic Area Aid Station at 7:25pm. This portion was only 4.3 miles and was predominately downhill so I was a little disappointed that it took me so long, but I did change clothes and I know I am not the strongest downhill runner and was still being cautious with the knee and leg so I was okay with the time, not extremely happy, but okay. The best part was that I was still feeling strong, energetic and happy. Can’t ask for much more. I quickly shed my CamelBak pack since it was now an empty shell and drank another Ensure and grabbed a Hershey bar to take with me (more than a little disappointed that this one wasn’t completely melted and that I did not have a jog bra in which to melt it). I am sure that I ate at the aid station, but for the life of me can’t remember what. All the aid stations had good food and I was so grateful for the volunteers being out here for us. The weather was terrible for them, but they were cheerful and seemed happy to be where they were, doing what they were doing. I was especially grateful since I had no crew. I double checked that I had my headlamp and flashlight and extra batteries and was off. I knew it would be 8.5 miles until my next drop bag access and that it would be dark so the going would be a little slower. Not that I mind running in the dark, I love running in the dark, I love even more running in the dark when it is raining. But it does make one move slower.

This section consisted of a long climb followed by a shorter, but very steep downhill that led into the next aid station. It was raining and wet and wonderful. I was completely alone and loving it. I love running at night when it feels like I am the only person in the world. I was positioned so that I did not even see the headlamps of the fellow runners and was able to feel completely alone on the course. It was wonderful and I let my mind wander and dream while I kept my body moving forward. I took frequent assessments of my physical state. Legs still felt strong, still had a lot of energy and I was as happy as a girl could get. No pain from the injuries and only a couple of hot spots on the feet, nothing that actually hurt, just noticeable enough to be aware that they were there. I was still being very cautious so as to not aggravate my knee, but moving pretty good.

I arrived back at the Gap Creek Aid Station at 10:13pm. 8.5 miles in 2 and ¾ hours. Not great time, but not too bad either. I was happy and made a quick transition in the aid station. I was warned that crew would not be able to access the next aid station even though it was a crew access point since the rain had taken out the road leading in. Knowing that this would not affect me since I was doing this solo I filed away the info and took off. This next portion was among the shortest on the course, but was going to be tough with a very sharp ascent followed by a sharp descent into the aid station. I concentrated on keeping my head down and watching my foot placement and made this section in about an hour and a quarter. Seems like a long time to go less than three miles, but I was feeling strong and making consistent progress, no stopping or resting required so I felt pretty good about it.

I arrived at the Moreland Gap Aid Station at 11:29pm and quickly refilled my bottles and grabbed some food from my drop bag. I did not want an Ensure, but knew I would need the calories and was still concerned that my stomach would turn on me at some point (it always had before) so I downed one anyway. I put another Hershey Bar in my pocket and was off. This next section is 8.2 miles long and involves a very steep climb followed a by run along the ridgeline for several miles before heading back off the mountain for the next aid station. I was not looking forward to the ridgeline since I now knew that the footing would be as bad or worse than on the climbs and descents and that I would probably be dealing with some good winds and blowing rain while traversing this portion of the course. It did not disappoint. It was windy and cold up there and the footing was such that you couldn’t take your eyes off the trail for a second without risking a fall or twisted ankle. It was during this portion that I had my first rough point of the race. I felt strong, my legs felt energetic, but I was getting sleepy. Not just sleepy, but I was zoning bad, hallucinating pretty spectacularly, and not able to focus on the trail. At one point I was sure that there was a cross between an aardvark and a chupacabra sitting off the side of the trail. I actually stepped off the trail to tap it on the snout, seeing as how I did not want to turn my back on it. I knew that I needed to get to the aid station and take a nap. I thought I could make it that far, I was wrong. I am sure that I could have pushed myself, but I was afraid I would take a misstep if I kept going. My legs weren’t weak and were responding to my missteps, but I knew that if I took a particularly bad one I could be risking a sprained or broken ankle, or worse. I decided to use a lull in the rain to step off the side of the trail and lay down for 15 minutes. I set my timer on my watch and lay down. Of course the timing was such that several runners were passing. Out of concern they asked if I was okay. I assured them I was, just recharging before the descent. So much for the nap, but the laying down and closing my eyes for a few minutes did make it so I could focus enough to get down off the mountain and into the aid station.

I arrived at the Edinburg Gap Aid Station at 3:22am and all I could think about was getting some sleep before going back out. My legs weren’t tired, my stomach felt fine, I was not even that cold as long as I was moving, but I knew that I needed sleep and that if I didn’t get some I would not finish the race. It really was as simple as that. Sleep or bonk. I quickly asked if there was a place to lay down, the answer was no, but they had chairs. I headed for one and asked for a blanket. I quickly wrapped myself in a cocoon and tried to nap. At first I set my alarm, thinking 20 minutes, then 40 minutes, I then realized that I was going to need to listen to my body and let it tell me when it had had enough to get me through the rest of the race. I was still very motivated and excited about getting back out on the course, so I knew that the down time would not in the least tempt me to quit. The decision to take the extra time was made because I didn’t have a crew or pacer and I knew that there were still rocky mountains to be covered in darkness. I did not want to risk an injury. With my one true goal being to finish this thing I knew I had plenty of time and I knew my legs still had much to give so I was comfortable with the rest I was going to give my brain and was not in the least interested in quitting. Quitting had never occurred to me, nor been a temptation, so I felt comfortable taking the time needed. I must have looked a sight though since several people asked how I was and seemed concerned. I did my best to say I was fine, just needed sleep. I napped in one chair for about 45 minutes, then it was suggested by an aid station angel that I move over to one closer to the propane lamp since it might be a little warmer. I moved over, laid my head on my knees, pulled the blanket over my head and dozed until I felt it time to go.

When I woke I asked for soup and coffee. I downed both and stood to go. I quickly realized that the only mistake I had made involved sleeping doubled over with my feet on the ground. My ankles were tight, not painful, but tight. I knew it would take a little while to warm them back up and that I would be relatively slow for the first part of this next section. I tried to make a quick transition and ended up forgetting to drop one of my headlamps (somehow I had picked up 2 and extra batteries) and my extra flashlight and extra batteries and left them in the pockets of my rain jacket. When I did take it off at the next aid station it felt like I was carrying bricks in my pockets, they were particularly noticeable while I was running with the jacket tied around my waist, need to remember to think about things like this on future races.

This section started with a very steep climb followed by an almost equally steep descent and then a long section of relatively equal elevation that just rolled for a number of miles. In fact all together it would be downhill or rolling for nearly ten miles before the next major climb. The climb was uneventful. Some people passed me, many more were passed by me. I felt good and the ankle seemed to be loosening up. However, immediately after cresting the top, I stepped funny on a rock that must have been balancing on a ball bearing all day just waiting for me and twisted my ankle in such a way that I think I kicked myself in the left shin with the toes of my left foot. The pain in the ankle was sharp and intense. I tried to walk it off, but that did nothing. It did not feel like a sprain, it felt like someone had inserted an ice pick in the tongue of my shoe on the front lateral side of my left ankle. No amount of walking made it lessen so I tried to run and see if that did the trick. No, no relief there, but it didn’t make matters worse and I reasoned that there would be less steps and time involved in running to the finish line as opposed to walking and everything felt strong and energetic if I just took the pain in the ankle out of the equation so I decided to run as much as possible from here on out.

I arrived at the Woodstock Tower aid station at 7:51am. This put me nearly 4 and a half hours since arriving at the last aid station for only a 8.2 mile section. I quickly did the math and realized that I had spent almost exactly 2 hours in the aid station and that it was a 2 and a half hour 8.2 mile section. This was still slow, but not as bad as it first seemed. It was still dark enough in the tree cover for the climb that the footing wasn’t exactly easy and there was a lot of water that we had to cross in this section. Not just stream crossings, but much of the trail had become either moving streams or giant puddles and the footing was slow going since the water was obscuring the lay of the rocks and so much of the foot placement was by feel. At the aid station I stowed my waist pack since I did not feel that I would need the extra water bottle for the rest of the run. I was able to head out with two water bottles and had tanked up on chow and fluids before taking off. This next section is the only part of the race in which there isn’t any major climb between aid stations. It should be a good time to make up for any time lost earlier, but with the rainfall and the ankle giving me problems it took nearly an hour and a half for me to go the 5.2 miles.

I arrived at the Powells Fort Aid Station at 9:33am and immediately grabbed food and an Ensure. I was running well and feeling strong and energetic. One of the volunteers made the statement that I had to have just dropped into the race recently since most people that were coming through this late in the race did not look as fresh and energetic. I stated that I had taken a long nap and that I was feeling fresh. Here I dropped another water bottle and was now down to just one handheld bottle and a couple of Hershey Bars for fuel on the next portion. I felt that it was plenty since it was late in the race and I had had no issues keeping down water or food throughout and I didn’t have to worry about tanking up for another whole day of running. This section was another long steep climb followed by a longer and possibly steeper descent. It went well. The ankle never stopped hurting, but I could get into a rhythm and at least make it predictable in the pain it would be causing me. I knew that I only had 12.5 miles to go from this point, and even though there were still two serious climbs I should be okay as long as the ankle did not get significantly worse. My stopping point is when I cannot run without limping. At that point I am left with walking, and if I can’t do that without limping I will just stop in place until I can either walk without limping or someone comes and gets me. Almost all my soft tissue injuries have resulted from limping or from a change in gait. I will not let that happen again.

This section consists of a 7.5 mile leg with one long climb and one long descent. The climb is shorter in duration than the descent since the next aid station is at a lower elevation. It was much like all the other climbs up to this point. In fact it was a little easier in some ways since it wasn’t quite as steep and wasn’t the longest one by any means. It was made more difficult by the amount of rainfall that we had had during the night. Much of it was muddy or submerged. The footing was tricky here. I wasn’t trying by any means to keep the feet dry, in fact I was pausing in each stream crossing to allow for an icing effect on the ankle and hoping it would offer some relief. I was however trying to avoid the sticky, shoe sucking mud pits. This took some tricky steps and was quite slowing as far as progress went. The 7.5 miles took me approximately 2 ½ hours.

I arrived at the Elizabeth Furnace Aid Station at 12:11 pm. To get here I had to cross through what looked like the end of a lake, not sure what it would have looked like prior to all the rain, but I know it was above knee deep on me and felt wonderful. It was very tempting to just stand there and let the cold water work it’s effects on what was now both ankles feeling like they either were being pierced with an ice pick or that I had developed stress fractures in both feet. Oh well, only 5 miles to go and everything felt wonderful outside of the ankles/foot juncture so I felt that things were good. I was on cloud 9, I knew that I would finish, and finish strong. The stomach issues that had plagued me in every race were nowhere to be found and I was hungry. There were pancakes with bacon and syrup. They were amazing. Perfect. Exactly what my body wanted. I ate one, drank a big cup of water and a small cup of coke, stowed my water bottle in my drop bag and headed out with a pancake in one hand and waving with the other. I had a huge smile on my face and was thinking that life really didn’t get any better than this. I knew I still had a climb and descent to do, and was looking forward to them. As long as I kept up a fairly constant pace the ankles were tolerable and I was determined to get to the finish line without any further damage.

The climb and descent were much like all the previous. I passed several people on this portion. I had been passing people ever since I woke from my nap. I have to admit that it felt good, but I really didn’t have any competitive goals here. I just wanted to go my pace for my race. When I was passed it didn’t bother me in the least. I knew that I had a climb then a downhill then I would hit a road before circling around the ranch where I would run across the field to the finish line.

I came off the trail and could see what I thought was the ranch up ahead. I was wrong, maybe it was “a ranch,” but it wasn’t “the ranch.” What stunned me was my reaction. I started sobbing, not just tearing up as I had done at Heartland, but sobbing. I couldn’t catch my breath. My first reaction was to tell myself “no, you don’t.” anyone that knows me knows that I do not cry and I definitely do not sob. I might growl or roar, I might need to split a cord of firewood or have a good session with my heavy bag, but I do not cry. I got ahold of myself pretty quickly only to discover that I was not actually in sight of the finish line. I used the confusion of running past what I thought was the ranch to explore the emotion a little. Was I just happy and relieved to be done, no actually, I was not. I wanted to keep going. I wasn’t ready to be done. I was running very well, it felt like any other Sunday morning run. it felt wonderful (except for the ankles, but nothing is perfect).

As I ran through the wooded portion prior to reaching the real destination I felt like I was in heaven. I started to hear the music and the announcements of fellow runners crossing the finish line and I started to sob again. This time I decided to let it run it’s course, well, sort of, you can’t run if you can’t breathe. It cleared up as I exited the woodline and began to make my way across the field. I ran across the field, it felt wonderful. I was done, I was crossing the finish line, I was being welcomed back to the ranch. It was a wonderful feeling. My legs still felt strong, I was full of energy. If my ankles had not been so excruciating I would have turned around and ran back for a friend that I knew was an hour or more behind me. In the end, I made the wise decision (severe tendonitis in the ankle with three of the toes pretty much paralyzed for about a week) to stay put at the ranch and quickly ran up the stairs to my drop bag to get my warm overshirt so I could hang out at the finish line to see my friends finish their races.

As far as the races I have attempted and the races I have finished go, this one is my favorite. I loved the challenge and the terrain. I loved the feel of family that was definitely present here. There is that feeling at all the races I have attempted, but this one was just a little different. I fell in love, I will be back every time I am lucky enough to make it through the lottery. I will be back as a volunteer anytime I am not lucky enough to make it through the lottery. With several family members and friends living in the Richmond area I will be back here to train and run and hike and camp. I can’t wait to bring my kids.

If all of this isn’t enough reason enough for you to throw your hat into the lottery and make your way to this race, the finisher’s buckle is flat out awesome!

Thursday May 28, 2009

2009-05-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

Day Two keeping a journal here.

Still bummed about not running. Went to gym this morning and spent nearly an hour spinning before doing a shoulder workout. Was pleasantly surprised to find that I had to go up a decent amount in weight from pre MMT. Wonder if it is from rest, or if running ultras really does make me stronger. I think this to be true, but have been told it probably isn't the case since they should be breaking down, not strengthening, my upper body Felt good. Legs will probably be a little sore tomorrow from spinning. They are a little tight today from yesterday.

The rest of my day's "workout" (can you call walking a workout? or is it a pastime?) consisted of a nearly 4 hour fast walk with a ruck on my back. It was my youngest's day for snacks at school and I decided to walk them over instead of driving and then stopped by the grocery store on the way home for fresh supplies. Did another half hour with the three youngest after they arrived home.

This is really boring reading, but I need a place and way to keep a log. We'll see how long I keep it up. Maybe I can find a way to hide it in the margins...

Wednesday, May 27 2009

2009-05-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am going to attempt to start updating my blog on a regular basis. I do not keep any type of training log other than the one in my head, but may attempt to keep one here.

Today I am still dealing with an injury. The injuries I went into MMT 100 with seem to be healed with only a little ache and tightness behind the knee, but that is dealt with with ice and a foam roller. To be honest, running will make them it go away for a couple of days, but will aggravate the ankle so I guess it's one of those "gotta do what you gotta do" situations and I don't want to risk my long term racing goals.

I came out of MMT with a case of tendinitis in my left ankle. After the race the foot and ankle swelled badly and there were two hard lumps just above the ankle where the toe extensors pass through the ankle. This resulted in me not being able to control the last two toes on that foot. At the request of my orthopod I am attempting to go two weeks without running. The foot is responding and healing rapidly so the two weeks are going to be hard.

To deal with this I am spending time in the gym spinning and lifting weights and also walking all of my errands, following each activity with a session of elevation and ice. I am also going barefoot once again and this seems to help since it makes my toes at least try to move and grip the ground when walking. My husband is also massaging the ankle and foot each evening and this seems to help break up the knots and allow my body to reabsorb the hardened areas. The movement is back somewhat in the toes, although not what it should be.

As for going barefoot, I am sure that I got some funny looks yesterday as I walked home from the grocery store barefoot with my three youngest kids in tow, a ruck sack full of groceries on my back, and a large watermellon in my arms. I will pick up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers this weekend. The pavement is getting quite hot here in Texas and I will need the protection they afford.

This morning I warmed up by spinning then did a leg workout. I was able to do squats, calf raises, leg extensions, hamstring curls, abductors, and adductors without any pain. I have been pleasantly surprised by the gain I have made in my strenght since MMT, I have dropped a few pounds in weight, but have had to bump up all my weights in the gym. I wanted to try for lunges this morning, but the ankle would not cooperate and I was not able to do even one without feeling it, so decided to save those for another day.

This afternoon I walked to the grocery store for fresh supplies for tonight's dinner and I plan to take a walk to a park later this afternoon with my three youngest when they return from school. And possibly walk to the video store to return some videos if the time allows. Will see how that goes.

Other than that I feel that I am finally coming out of this recent funk and life is getting back to normal.

Barkley 2009 - The Race Itself

2009-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Around 9:45 Saturday morning people began to say that Gary would be sounding the conch at any moment. I quickly grabbed my camera and was off to the race headquarters. The conch sounded at about 9:54am. We now had exactly one hour to finish getting ready and to get to the start line for the lighting of the cigarette. I had packed my backpack the night before and had made it so that I would be ready for a start as early as midnight if necessary. I had put my headlamp and flashlight and warmer clothes into the bag of clothes that I would get dressed from to start the race just in case, so the late start did not require me to alter what I had packed, all I had to do was move the lights and warmer gear to my pack and I would be ready. Even so I was running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off rechecking my pack. It was during this hour that my ex-husband and his new wife arrived to pick up the three youngest kids for the weekend. I kissed the kids goodbye and headed towards the start.

I arrived at the race headquarters in time to have my picture made beside my contribution to the “prayer flag” and then headed towards the yellow gate. It was nice to put a few more faces with names. But what was really going through my mind was that I was really and truly at the starting line of The Barkley Marathons!!! This was a dream come true. I quickly kissed my Mom and went to the middle of the group of runners. I then saw my husband and received one more quick kiss before the start.

Gary stood with cigarette ready and made the comment that this is usually the time at a race in which last minute advice and encouragement is given by the race director to the runners. However, “this is the Barkley” is what we were sent “out there” with. Somehow it seemed perfectly fitting. And with that, he lit the cigarette and we were off. We all walked around the gate and made our way towards the Bird Mountain Trail. There is no running start to the clockwise loops of this race since the uphill climb begins immediately.

The race began on a dirt road that runs through the park. This lasted about a quarter of a mile and then we made a left onto the first trail. This part of the trail was very well marked due to being one of the more popular public hiking trails in the park. It is, however, fairly steep as it switchbacks it’s way up the mountain. What resulted was a long line of runners walking up the mountain at varying speeds. It was quite a sight to look ahead and behind and see the line of runners. There was a lot of talk here about speed, heart rate, plans for later in the loop, and also the enjoyment of being on a well marked trail. I settled into a comfortable pace that would not come back to bite me later while at the same time would be a good warm up for descending the opposite side of the mountain. All was good and I couldn’t remember being happier. I thought my smile might crack my face as I headed upwards. The injury to my foot was not even whispering this morning and I was thankful, I had spent the previous night sleeping with my TENS unit on my foot and it seemed to have paid off.

We arrived at Book 1 in a group and I quickly retrieved page 22 which corresponded with my loop one number. Very quickly we were off towards the next book. As we continued towards Book 2 the footing became a little less sure with the trail being well marked for the first part, but there being some branches across the trail not to mention it wasn’t as wide nor did it provide as good a footing as the first trail. It was during this section that I reaggrivated my heel. I was running at a pretty good pace when my right foot slipped under a small sapling and when I tried to correct and launch off that foot the next didn’t land securely and when the right foot came down again it was like an explosion of pain that made the world go dark for a second and I saw stars. This was not a new sensation and I hoped I could just run it off. I can run through pain as long as I know it is just pain. But this time it took all my concentration to not limp or allow my gait to change. This is not a race in which your attention needs to be on your gait. I needed to be correlating what I was seeing with the map and the directions for use on further loops when I would most likely be alone and in the dark.

The only lucky thing I had going for me at this point was that the terrain was very familiar and nearly indistinguishable from the mountains I grew up in. I was completely comfortable and at home on the course, but I knew how easy it would be to get lost and turned around. It was around this time that I linked up with Mike O’Melia and we stayed together, leap frogging each other occassionally, for the next section of the trail towards Book 2. Our only snafu was when we accidentally took the direction of the trail towards the road that would lead back to camp. Upon arriving at the road we knew we had made a mistake and we turned around and backtracked towards the sign for the trail we were supposed to be on. Several people passed us at this point and we followed along towards Book 2. We soon found the trail closed sign that we were expecting. We continued beyond the sign and began going through the blowdowns towards the cutdowns all the while trying to stay at an even altitude instead of taking the easier high or low road. During this portion I was pulling up the rear of our little group since my foot was really giving me problems and it wasn’t exactly responding as I wanted it too and I didn’t want to take a bad step and a fall.

We reached Book 2 fairly easily and I quickly retrieved my page and was ready to set off. I believe this is where Mike realized he had lost his map and his page from Book 1. Somehow I ended up alone on the trail for the next little part and this was when I got lost for the first time. I had read in the directions that I would continue down switchbacks until I got to SOBD. I was following switchbacks and saw a stream in front of me and noticed that there was a switchback on my side of the stream. I followed that swichback and continued around and down. I was lost for several minutes before I realized my mistake and started making my way back to the stream crossing. As I came back to where I had gone wrong I ran into Leonard “Butt Slide” Martin and from this point through Rat Jaw I would follow his lead. It was during this part of the course I rechristened him Leonard “Saved My Ass” Martin.

Leonard led me directly to SOBD and to a part that I found very easy to cross. That would not have been the case if there had been much rain since the sides would have been very slick. We were lucky and crossed without any problems. We reached the road that lead us among the old coal ponds and saw that the beavers had indeed been very busy this year. I was quite impressed and thought that there must have been quite a troop of them working “busy as beavers” to take down that many trees. The side of the road literally looked like someone had taken handfuls of very large pencils and stuck them into the ground with the pointy end up. The road brought a smile to my face since it was pretty much identical to an old mine road with coal ponds that is halfway up the mountain from my childhood home.

We left the coal road when we saw the stacked stones and started up the switchbacks that would take us to the Garden Spot and Book 3. This portion of the course does not have any painted marks on the trees, but there were orange flagging tape pieces tied around trees and there was even double markings for a majority of the switchbacks. Following these we made our way to the Garden Spot without any trouble. We retrieved our pages from Book 3 and then headed back in the direction we came from in order to make use of the water drop since we knew that there would be no potable water through the Stallion Mountain portion of the course.

Once our water bottles/bladders were full we made our way towards the peak of Stallion Mountain. It was fairly steep and seemed to take quite a while to get there, as soon as you think you can see that the top is just ahead you make your way to that point and realize that it is just hiding the next little peak. Eventually we made our way to the top and retrieved our Book 4 page. After retrieving this page we walked out to the point of the bluff to take a heading on where we were going and made our way off the bluff and in that direction.

Through this next section I concentrated on following Leonard while also trying to relate what I was seeing with what the written directions said with what the map looked like. This is the true problem for virgins on the course in my opinion. Trying to take everything in at the same time and make sense of all of it for further loops all the while knowing that you will be tired and not as clear minded when you see this again, not to mention it will most likely be in the dark so you need to visually locate things that can be seen at night. This little exercise is one of the many things that make this course so mentally exhausting. When “out there” on the Barkley course it isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other, but making sure that foot is going in the right direction and that you can repeat that direction on further loops, even if it is dark and foggy.

I was actually very relieved when we reached the power lines and started up Testicle Spectacle. This part of the course involves a long steep climb, but no navigational effort whatsoever. Just stay under the power lines and you will be on course. The climb up Testicle was definitely a ballbuster, but I was enjoying it. It seemed that as long as I was climbing my foot wasn’t hurting. I was beginning to hope that maybe I had indeed “walked off” the pain and that the foot wasn’t going to start back giving me any problems. I began to pick up my pace here and made up for some of the time used when I had been lost earlier.

Once I reached the top and began the descent of Meth Lab Hill I quickly realized that the dream of the foot being okay wasn’t happening. This was when I began to really look forward to the climbs and dread the descents. As for navigation, Leonard was dead on and took us directly to Raw Dog Falls without any corrections needed. We were able to retrieve our Book 6 page quickly and we were off towards Danger Dave’s Climbing Wall and then on towards highway 116 and Pig Head Creek. I believe it was during this section that I took a few pretty good falls. My foot was becoming more uncooperative and was occasionally completely numb so my footing wasn’t what it should be. I did many of the descents in crabwalk fashion. It was during this time that I began to believe that I wasn’t going to even make one loop. This was hard to swallow and I spent a lot of mental energy trying to be smart about my decision. I felt that I could probably push on and make the foot cooperate enough to at least complete one loop, but what would be the cost? I was still holding on to a glimmer of hope that the foot would stop hurting and start cooperating. It had happened before when I was fighting Achilles’ Tendonitis and after about 45 miles of extreme pain in a 100 miler the pain was suddenly gone and never really returned.

I was relieved when we bottomed out in the valley since I knew a good long climb was ahead. We reached highway 116 and crossed the road to Pig Head Creek and continued to climb. All was good at this point. That ended when we came to the Prison Mine Trail. This part of the course is along an old jeep road and it was fairly flat and the foot was now worse than ever. I had developed a limp and there was no amount of mental energy that would correct it. I couldn’t wait to start up Rat Jaw.

We reached the start of Rat Jaw trail and began the climb. This was a relief for the foot and I was able to make good time here. The only issue was when I saw a rock outcropping before I reached the actual bluff and wondered if maybe the book would be to the right of that and I went off trail to investigate. The directions say that the bluff is halfway up the trail. Being as this was the first time I was to see this trail I did not know where halfway was and also being that a rock bluff can be a subjective description I wasn’t sure what I would encounter. I didn’t want to have to backtrack downhill so I wasn’t going to pass up what could possibly be the right place for the book. Each time a trail or old road bisected Rat Jaw and we had a few steps on relatively flat ground the pain was excruciating to the point that I could not walk with a steady gate. This wasn’t looking good and I was soon to realize that I was most likely out of the game for today. While the Barkley is my most desired race, it isn’t my only and to give it my all and risk a long term injury was not the smart way to go about this, especially if all this was happening on loop one!

I arrived at the bluff which contained the book and quickly located Book 7. I retrieved my page and continued up Rat Jaw. As I neared the top I saw Rich and Marcia’s husband (sorry, have forgotten his name at the moment). They were snapping pictures and smiling and calling encouraging words from the top. I made my way there painlessly but knew that the real test would be when I tried to walk across even ground. I still had hopes and even sent out a little prayer that my foot would be magically better, but this wasn’t the case.

I continued up the hill to the water drop after telling Rich that I was in fear that my race was over. I now hoped that my cell phone was in my pack and was planning to use it to call and get advice on whether to go on. Actually, I wasn’t wanting advice, I just needed to talk through what I was going through out loud and confirm my decision, not to mention call someone to pick me up at the nearest point I could get to so as to not aggravate the foot further now that I was making the decision to quit. It took a few minutes to get cell coverage. When I finally attained coverage I texted a friend and cousin who also happens to be an orthopedic surgeon. He called shortly thereafter and we discussed what was going on with the foot. The good news was that I was not likely to do any real damage to the foot even if I continued on, the bad news was that if I continued with an uneven gait and a limp I was likely to aggravate other joints and connective tissue and risk possible injury that would really take time to heal and rehab. I had just cleared up a problem with my knee that resulted from limping through a mountainous 100k in December when the foot was doing exctly as it was today and wasn’t keen to revisit that experience. I also knew that if I continued on I still had a couple of very steep descents and that at least one of them would render me in an area that would be inaccessible and most likely dark. This confirmed my decision and I made the call to my husband to arrange link up and I took off down quitter’s row.

As I made the long walk down Lookout Tower Trail towards Armes Gap I thought about all that I had been through. The Barkley has been a dream for over a decade and here I was dropping out with less than one lap under my belt. I wasn’t sure where I was emotionally. On the one hand I was elated to even get to put my foot on the start line, on the other I was worried that I had blown my chance to achieve my dream. As I walked towards my pick up point the tears started to flow. I am not someone that cries and it surprised me, it is just not the way I express my emotions (I would have predicted anger towards myself and my foot), but I let them flow freely. I knew that I needed to let them out and to let the emotion work it’s way to the natural conclusion, otherwise it would just come back to bite me some other way. I have spent a lifetime repressing emotions and am finally beginning to learn that they always come back. Besides, there was no one to witness this perceived weakness (I know that crying isn’t a sign of weakness, but no matter how much I understand this, it doesn’t sit right with me and I feel weak when the tears are flowing and it often results in me being angry that I let something get to me that deeply). I am fairly certain that I could account for all the times I have cried during my adult life on both hands with digits left over and that if I included my toes I might account for my last 30 years worth. However, I was happy to let myself feel what I was going through and it somehow felt right. I can’t describe or label what those feelings were, but they were strong and true.

I arrived at the gated entrance to the jeep road that makes up Lookout Tower Trail and my husband was there with the car. He informed me that he had not told anyone where he was going and that no one knew that I had dropped at this point. I asked him to drive me directly to the race headquarters, not knowing if I could walk from our campsite there or not after sitting in the car for several minutes. We arrived back at the campground and he took me to race headquarters for the playing of taps. I reminded him to get the camera and to ask our 13 year old to film it. I got out of the car and walked directly to the yellow gate and asked Gary to play taps for me. I placed my hand over my heart and listened to the end of my first Barkley attempt. Gary’s playing was true and, from what I hear, it was one of the few times he hit the high note perfectly. I felt honored to have just been able to be part of Fool’s Weekend 2009.

I know this, I hope to be back in Frozen Head next Fool’s Weekend and to arrive with more knowledge of the course (gained from this year) and without injury. I also know that it is insane to think that this race could be run with a preexisting injury, no matter how tough you might think you are. My whole life I have searched for activities that would push my boundaries and really test what I am made of. I have been told time and again about how hard things were and always found them to not live up to my preconceived notions. Barkley did not disappoint. It isn’t just about the amount of physical energy that has to go into a successful attempt of this race, it is the mental aspect as well. It is my favorite course so far both because of the physical toll it takes and the mental. One has to race smarter, not harder “out there” if they are to have any shot of completing the dream.

Easter Morning Run

2009-04-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

I woke a couple of hours before dawn to pouring rain and temps in the 50s. I have always loved running in the rain and I lay in bed for a few minutes thinking about how wonderful it would be to go running. At first I thought that it wasn’t an option, I still had the Easter baskets to get together and by the door and my husband was leaving for a short work trip in only a few hours. The more I thought about what I needed to do the more I wanted to run. I quickly got out of bed and headed downstairs to put the Easter stuff together. It only took a couple of minutes and left plenty of time to get in a short run before the house awakened and it would be time to make breakfast and start the day. The final justification for my self-indulgent run was that one pair of my trail shoes were still very muddy from my race last weekend and needed to be cleaned. What better way to clean the mud off than to go for a run in the rain? I could even jump in a few puddles just for the fun of it. That was all I needed and I was quickly dressed and out the door.

I headed out into the pre-dawn darkness with a hugh smile on my face and was immediately soaked. Nothing makes me feel more alive than a run in cool rain. It was pouring and blowing horizontal and I couldn’t have been happier. What started out as a short run became a little longer. I had purposely not taken my watch or heartrate monitor and wanted only to run to feel.

I ran and splashed through the puddles and smiled, sometimes laughing out loud just for the sheer fun of it. Then I remembered that today was Easter and began to think about what that meant to me. Easter has been very hard for me since the loss of my Granny. I spent many if not most of my Easters with her and it was always near, if not on, her birthday. Since her death I have avoided thinking about or dealing with that loss. While running this morning I let myself think of my Granny and I allowed myself to really miss her. The tears started to flow. I can’t describe the feelings that I was having nor did I try to analyze them, I just let them run their course and let the tears flow freely. Even now as I sit here and write this I am not sure how to describe the emotions that I felt this morning. The tears weren’t from sadness exactly. I miss her every day, every time the kids do something cute, every time the kids do something exasperating, every accomplishment, ever failure, my first instinct is still to pick up the phone to share with her. No matter what i was going through she would listen and understand and accept. I do not know if that will ever go away and in many ways I hope it doesn’t. There is always some pain with each new reminder of the loss, but there is also a happiness that comes with having loved someone that much and been loved equally in return.

I feel so close to her when I am running and it is like she is with me every step. When I was training for my first 100 miler I had to do a great deal of my training at night and all my long runs had to take place when the kids were in bed. Granny insisted I get a cell phone and a headset and that I call her while running since she worried. Oftentimes we would go long stretches without actually saying anything, but she was there. She knew that I liked my solitude on my runs and she would quietly sit on the other end of the phone and just listen to my breathing. She was the perfect running partner since there was no worry about anyone else’s pace or training plans. This morning she felt as close as the other end of the line.

Doogie's Run - A Proud Mama 28 February, 2009

2009-03-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

This won't exactly be ultra content.

While I did run a 50 miler yesterday, I will talk about that later.

For now I have to brag about my son for a minute. Yesterday he ran his second 25k this year. While this isn't an ultra, he is 14 and I am making him start out slowly. Progressing from 10k, to half marathon, to 25k, to a couple of 30k's in the near future. He is a natural runner with a natural form that is a pleasure to watch. I love seeing him run barefoot down the road to a friend's house. It is like he glides.

As much as the coach in me would like to train him to maximize his performances, I refuse to push him or set up training plans at all, I offer general advice and answer any questions that he may have. I want him to keep his natural love of running. He discovered trail races and is hooked. He even offers to pay his entry fees each time I sign him up and I assure him that I will pay his race fees, at least for now.

Anyhow, the races we were doing yesterday had a staggered start with the 25k starting 3 hours after my 50 miler. They were loop courses that shared the first portion and the final portion of each loop with a different set of trails in the middle. I had told my son to go ahead and nap until his race started if he wanted since I had gotten him up at 3:30 am to leave for the race site.

My race consisted of 8 loops with the 25k consisting of 2 loops.When I came around on both of my first loops my son was there with my bag crewing for me. I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated it, but he is not a very emotional or demonstrative kid and it would make him uncomfortable for me to more than say "thanks." This I did and after the second lap he told me he would not be there on the next go around since he would be racing. I told him good luck and that I would see him later.

I hoped that we would link up at some point and that I would get to run at least a little of the trail with him. This wasn't the case. I had no idea how long it would take him on this course. It is rooty, rocky, sometimes rolling, sometimes across a field (with 40 wind gusts yesterday), and sometimes dropping straight down or consisting of sharp switchbacks. You wouldn't believe my surprise to come around after my fourth loop and see him standing there. He had a grin from ear to ear as he told me that he had beat his goal by about 10 minutes and that he had come in second in the men's division and forth overall. (It is a relatively small race, but I couldn't be prouder). I congratulated him and took off on my next loop.

What follows is the part of the race that I will always treasure. In fact, I can't think of anything that will ever replace it in my heart. As I came out of the woods heading towards the start/finish aid station my son comes running towards me. He has just attended the award ceremony for the 25k and has his plaque in one hand and the items he needed to crew for me in the other. He has run a quarter or mile or so barefoot down a gravel road to show me his award (and remembered that I am still running and that I might need food).

What makes this so special for me, besides the obvious, is the fact that this kid is never emotional or demonstrative. If you were to inform him he won the lottery he would respond "yeah, okay." He also never brags, even when he has a reason to, and gets upset when I mention his accomplishments or question him in such a way that he has to admit to them. But now, he was beaming and he couldn't wait to show me his award. When I went to bed last night he still had a huge grin on his face.

As you know, there is a lot of time to think while running an ultra. I often take for granted the health and ability of this son, but had much time to really think about this yesterday. This is my first born, he was born premature and we came very close to losing him three times in his first few days of life. He was moved from hospital to hospital to finally get the level of care that would keep him alive those first few weeks. When it was determined that he would, barring anything unforeseen, live, I was warned that due to the oxygen deprivation and other circumstances he would most likely never progress mentally or physically (as far as independence was concerned) past the maturity of a 6 month old. He is an athlete, a scholar (99.5 average in 8 APclasses and on schedule to graduate high school early), and an all around good kid. I am one proud Mommy as I sit here writing this.

Heartland 100

2008-10-30T04:39:00.000-07:00

Heartland 100 2008 Report

We arrived at the community center for packet pick-up about an hour before the pre-race briefing was due to commence. Even though this was my first time at this race, I was immediately greeted by Randy, the co-RD, as if I had been a long lost friend with genuine warmth and welcome. Things were looking good already. One of the things I love most about ultras is the feeling of family that the runners, race directors, and volunteers seem to have among each other, even if you happen to be the new guy on the block. As it so happened there were several familiar faces. I also had the great pleasure of meeting a couple of people from the list that I only knew through e-mail or phone conversations. It was great to finally put faces to names.

After the pre-race briefing we were treated to a wonderful meal provided by the volunteers at the community center. Were my crew and I really considering not eating there, wow, we would have really missed out. Now it was time to pick up one of my bags that had been brought by a friend who drove to the race from San Antonio and go back to the hotel to distribute everything into my drop bags (this is the part of ultras that I really hate the most, I tend to over think and over analyze everything and then use nearly none of it). Living in south Texas, I was still used to running in nothing but shorts and jogbra both day and night and was not sure how my body would react to the lower temperatures so I vastly over packed. Once back to the hotel I made short work of throwing everything into my drop bags and turned in early hoping for a good night’s sleep. As it turned out I seemed to wake about every 15 minutes through the night, but somehow woke feeling rested and refreshed. Time to head back to the community center to drop off the bags and then make my way to the start line.

We left the hotel hoping to find a cup of coffee. No luck. However, when we arrived at the community center one of the volunteers (a true angel if there ever was one) had coffee ready. With coffee in hand we made our way to the start line. It was fully dark at the time for the race to start but I was a happy girl. I am one of those people that is a morning person and my favorite time of day is the hours between 0400 and about 0530. After a final trip to the porta-potty it is time to be on our way.

I am a very social person and love the social aspect of the beginning of ultras. For the first several miles I ran with various people and we talked about anything, everything and nothing, and it was wonderful. I had set a goal of 28 hours for my finish and was well within this when we reached the first manned aid station. In fact, I felt so good that I changed my goal and decided to see if I could run a little faster. I always start very conservatively and will adjust my goal after seeing what the body is feeling like on that particular day. As much as I like running long distances I do not like the beginning of runs and take what seems to be forever to get warmed up. Once warmed up I like to run alone, but am forever grateful to have someone share the first hour or two of a run with me. By this time the sun was up and it was turning into a beautiful day.

I reached the first crew access point and handed off my camel back to be refilled while I hit the porta-potty (I try to never pass one of those up, especially on a course where there are no trees to duck behind). One goal I had for this race was to minimize my time in aid stations unless I was doing something relevant to the run (eat, sleep if need be, change clothes or socks, etc.). My crew performed beautifully and I was back on the road very quickly. When leaving this aid station you pass through what seemed to be about the only part of the race in which there were signs of habitation by anything other than cattle. There is a little stream with a few fish and a few houses set near the road. Quite a pretty part of the course. Of course there was one stick on the road (possibly the only one on the entire course) and while I was just dreamily running along I managed to get it caught between my feet and scratch up both legs.

For the most part this race is set in what really is wide open prairie, which is beautiful in its own right, but vastly different from anywhere I had been before. The legs were feeling good and I was ready to run. Still feeling really cautious since I have heard many a tale about what can happen if you start too fast, not to mention seeing the results of taking off too hard early in the race only to have it come back and bite you later. It is often hard on this course to tell whether you should be running some of the less steep uphills. Next year I hope to return more prepared. This year was all about getting the first 100 mile finish under my belt (and the buckle on it!).

The stretch between the first two crew access points is much like the rest of the course. In fact nearly all of this course looks about the same. I was worried that I would become bored with this, but it never happened. I like my mountains and the challenge and change up that comes with running single track trails in the woods (favorite courses so far are Cascade Crest and the HURT). I was worried going into this race that it would feel like a death march due to the perceived terrain. (There was a death march like portion, but that will come later). However, I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the prairies. I proceeded along running stronger and faster than earlier, but ever cautious. The last thing I wanted was another DNF. Due to my surgeries last year and my body’s reaction to them I no longer trust my body to perform like it used to and it has made me very cautious (that and possibly some of the wisdom that comes with age and experience, one can only hope). I have taken it slow since I was allowed to start back running this past Christmas after more than two years off.

When I reached the Teterville aid station I once again handed off my camelback to my crew to be refilled and hit the porta-potty before consuming some chow and heading back out. My crew commented that I had much improved my pace and was making good time. This both made me feel good and had me a little worried, but I was feeling great, the best I had felt so far that day. I was managing to stick to my abbreviated time goal in the aid stations and the legs felt strong. Next stop Texaco Hill.

From the time I left Rich “The Troubadour” earlier in the race I had run mostly alone. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a social creature by nature, but I truly love running alone with my thoughts and possibly an audio book or music. Except for a very few moments in the race, after this point I ran alone for the last 90 plus miles. When I run with someone else I constantly worry about whether I am messing with their pace which is one of the reasons I tend to run alone. Not to mention, in my life, my running is the only time I am really alone and don’t feel the need to beat myself up with guilt over the housework not getting done (not that the guilt gets it done, I am admittedly not the greatest housekeeper).

The rest of the run to the turnaround point went about the same as my running up to this point. I was feeling good and strong and everything seemed right. My Achilles Tendonitis combined with a couple of small tears and a bone spur in my heel hurt like crazy with every step up until around the 40 mile mark and then mysteriously disappeared. There was some pain at the very end of the race, but nothing like the constant pain that I had been enduring for a few months before the race. To this day it hasn’t come back like it was before the race and I suffered no pain for nearly two weeks after the finish. My theory is that it finally got tired of not being listened to and just quit whining. Sort of a battle of the wills and I won out. Absolutely no medical evidence to back up this theory, but it is my story and I am sticking to it.

I reached the turnaround point over an hour ahead of my previous 50 mile PR still feeling good and running strong. Still cautious though. I don’t know if I will ever trust my body like I used to. Time will tell. I decided to change socks and shorts at this point. While I did not feel any chafing or hot spots at this time, I did not want to take the chance of developing any issues if I could prevent it. I know it will sound crazy, but I had planned my next 100 miler only three weeks after Heartland. This is not the recommended amount of time one should put between their first 100 mile finish and their next attempt. However, the following 100 miler is very near home in a park that I run regularly, and take my kids to, and will be the first time the children will get a chance to come to one of my races. It would mean so much to me to have the children at a race to see mommy come across the finish line, but with five of them still too young to drive it is not feasible to take them to a race that requires travel. Both the expense and the exhaustion of traveling with them would not be a way to set myself up for success. This being said, they all excitedly talk about wanting to be my pacer one day and I hope to have my 14 year old pace me the last section of the upcoming race.

The way back was much like the way out for the first several miles. I was feeling good when I reached the Matfield Green aid station, but was trying to overcome some slight sleepiness so decided on a short nap since I had a crew vehicle there and could curl up in the backseat. I told my crew to please refill my camelback and add some of the snacks I had in my drop bag to the pockets and let me catch a little shut eye. I stated “please wake me in about 15 minutes” and I promptly took a nap. I have an ability of lying down and pretty much going to sleep on command (staying asleep for any period of time, however, is something I only fondly remember from my pre-menopausal days). This is something that I have worked on for some time and has served me well in my job in EMS. You never know when you will get the next nap and, at least for me, a cat nap can be really refreshing. This one worked wonders and when I woke all sleepiness was gone. Time to hit the porta-potty and head out again. I was still ahead of my goal and feeling relatively fresh when I awakened. I had been looking forward to running at night all day and was ready to go. I hoped that this would be the only nap required. Boy was I wrong there.

When I reached the Teterville aid station on the return it was time to have another cup of Prairie Power Pellets. I had been looking forward to another cup of these for quite some time now, but when offered the vegetarian option I went for it and was not disappointed. I made the decision to take another nap and requested to be awakened in about 15 minutes. This once again worked for me but it wasn’t nearly as easy to get up and get going this time. Once back on the road I felt refreshed and was still going strong. Only 25 miles to go. This section from Teterville to Lapland is only a little over 8 miles and I was still running well, but had added a little more walking to the mix. Still being conservative, but knowing that even if the legs started to fail me I had plenty of time to walk it in to the finish line if needed (my husband refers to my walking pace as being akin to the French Foreign Legion’s “march or die” rate). It wasn’t a problem and I was able to make smart decisions about when to run and when to walk and was still letting my decisions be governed by the terrain.

Everything changed as I was coming into Lapland. I had not been able to eat as much as I wanted during this part of the race. On my best day I do not have a sweettooth and as a race progresses the taste of anything even remotely sweet starts to upset my stomach. As I neared Lapland the nausea I was beginning to feel seemed to sweep over me with a feeling like the worst morning sickness or food poisoning I had ever encountered (and, trust me, I have suffered with both to the point of requiring iv fluids on more than one occasion). When I reached my crew I once again handed off my camelback and requested water, snacks, and another cup of coffee. I also stated that I was going to have to lay down for a few minutes again. I think I requested about 20 minutes here, but it ended up being much longer. I thought if I just curled up in the fetal position for a few minutes I would get past the nausea. Not happening, I ended up with my head hanging out one side of the car vomiting so hard I was sure my toes would be found somewhere about the instep of my feet turned inside out. Once all the brackish looking liquid had left my stomach I dry heaved for what seemed like an eternity. Luckily I had my head towards the field side of the car and no one was in my way when I began vomiting or I would not have had the energy to turn the other way. It was while this was going on that my crew noticed a flat tire from the famous flint that the flint hills are named from and while they changed a tire on one side of the car I was busy vomiting out the backseat door on the other side. After vomiting I curled back into the fetal position and hoped to start feeling better. Wasn’t happening. I finally became so frustrated that I sat up and asked for coffee with a packet of hot cocoa mixed in in hopes that it would stay down. I figured that it would either stay down and make me feel better, or it would come up, and I was pretty sure that I couldn’t feel any worse. To my surprise it stayed down and while not feeling much better I was determined to set off again and see what happened.

I knew that I had plenty of time to walk to the finish line if necessary. I started out walking and was able to begin running soon thereafter. The sugar in the cocoa and the caffeine in the coffee were doing their jobs and the legs felt good so I was able to run for awhile. This was however not long lived. I just had no fuel for the machine. Walking was still possible and I was able to keep up a good pace, but not able to eat much so I made the decision to walk it in to the Battle Creek aid station and try refueling with some more coffee and cocoa. I kept thinking I had managed to walk past the unmanned aid station without noticing it. There were chem lights marking the way and they were visible from in incredible distance, probably more so since I was not using a light source of any type. I was able to make out the road from the light of the moon and stars and was very comfortable running in the dark (in fact the only time I turned on my light during the entire race was inside of the porta-pottys). The chem lights seemed so bright that I kept thinking they had to be an aid station and the light was the dome of the tent. I was wrong. The only time I became really frustrated during the race and sort of lost my cool was when I had seen this chem light (aid station in my expectation) from a distance and knew I was closing in on it and then I crested a hill and it was only a chem light hung under a tree. I made an impolite hand gesture and grumbled a phrase not suitable for mixed company as I walked by without so much as a pause in step (fearing I would not be able to make myself begin moving again if I so much as paused) and then fanaticized about tearing it into little pieces and flinging the liquid center into the ditch line for a few minutes as I continued to walk. Here is where the promised death march reference comes in to play. Finally I reached the unmanned aid station.

It was at some point after the unmanned aid station that the nausea came back with a vengeance. I stopped in the road and began to vomit. I was doubled over and supporting myself with one hand so as not to topple over and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back, on top of my camelback nonetheless, looking up at the sky and it was full daylight. The last I remembered the sky was dark except for stars and there was no hint as to which area of the horizon would produce the sun. I had no idea how long I had been laying there. I stood up and tried to remember which direction I was going (here is where it would have been nice to have a pacer since they would know which direction I should head out in). Not a clue which way to go, so I pulled out the map, still no clue, so I decided to just pick a direction and started walking with a few running steps thrown in here and there. The legs felt good except for the fact that I just felt empty of energy. Once again, no fuel for the machine. I was able to continue taking in water in sips and did not feel that I had allowed myself to become dehydrated. Nothing to do but make my way to the next aid station and the finish line.

I was sure that I had to be nearing the aid station, had to be. This was not the case. I crested one of the hills and there were a couple of people coming in my direction. It was Yen and her husband/pacer Peter. I was never so happy to see anyone. It didn’t even occur to me that they were heading towards me, that we weren’t going in same direction. Peter very calmly and matter of factly (as best as I can remember, but keep in mind, here I was not even concerned that we were heading in different directions at this point in time) that if I was heading toward the finish line I might want to turn around and head in the other direction. Yeah, this sounded like a good idea and I took his advice. We walked and talked for a little bit (I told Peter that I had taken a nap and become disoriented so that he would not worry about me) and then I felt that I could run yet again and took off (more probably ambled off). I don’t think it was so much that I had energy at this point as the fact that I just wanted to reach the finish line and I really needed to pee and knew that a porta-potty was somewhere on the horizon. It still took about 45 minutes to reach the place where I had passed out, but how much farther could the aid station be? The rest of the time to the Battle Creek aid station was unremarkable and I was able to run and walk and run a little more. A bathroom can be quite a motivator.

I reached the Battle Creek aid station and was wonderfully taken care of by the aid station volunteers. I don’t think I could pick the angels that were there out of a line up if my life depended on it, but they are two (there could be more, but I remember a man and a woman) of my favorite people on the planet and I want them to know that if they ever need anything just contact me and I will be your huckleberry without hesitation or question. I think I was pretty dismissive in my behavior, but I was really zoning here, I even forgot to go to the potty (not such a bad thing in retrospect since it was quite the motivator for the rest of the race). There was a lounge chair in the center of the road with a blanket on it. I made a beeline for it and asked to be awakened in about 10 minutes. I accepted a cup of coffee, I may even have had them put cocoa in it, not sure, and lay down for a quick nap. When it was time to go they woke me and offered me pancakes or sausage. I quickly said “NO,” but then reconsidered and asked for one of each to take with me. This proved to be one of the best decisions I made during the entire race. I walked and munched and my energy began to come back. I was returning from the dead. I started walking a little faster and then to run longer and longer stretches. I began to see other runners in the distance and was able to close the gaps. Somewhere in the vicinity of the unmanned aid station I linked up with Sherry for a little and we chatted and laughed about scaring each other in the middle of the race when we both thought we were hallucinating each others presence. We passed what we thought was the last aid station and then saw a tent (mirage?). We asked each other if it was a tent, no it couldn’t be a tent, we were already past the last unmanned aid station and should be on the home stretch. Had I gone in the wrong direction yet again? We discussed the fact that it could belong to a farmer in the area, was that a generator we heard? Yes, it was a generator, and there was a tent and in the tent were people and food and coffee, blessed coffee. I asked for a cup of coffee and then noticed they had a can of cocoa (bless these people too). I had a cup of coffee with cocoa and was on my way. I started walking to let the liquid start getting into my system, then I was able to run. My pace picked up, I wanted the finish line and a bathroom. I knew that I had less than five miles to the finish (read bathroom).

The kind people at the aid station had pointed out to me that I could see the smoke stack that was directly over the finish line. I could see the finish line! I am on the home stretch! How far can it be now? Okay, it is a lot farther than it looks. You run and you see the smoke stack and it doesn’t seem to get any closer, sometimes it seems farther than it was before you crested the last hill. What is going on here? Surely my mind is playing tricks on me. The town must be littered with these things and I am sighting in on different ones each time I come up over a rise. Nope, it is the same one and it is getting closer, it just doesn’t appear that way. As you get closer you start to realize that you are now making 90 degree turns across a checkerboard towards this thing. It is only a few turns, but at the time it seems endless. I would excitedly begin running only to see the runners in the distance make a turn, then I would walk so as to be able to run across the finish line. I wanted to take the last corner and then run the remaining quarter of a mile or so (probably less, but I was not judging distance too well here).

Finally the last corner was turned and I was on the home stretch and I was running. I could see people at the finish line and they were ringing cow bells to call us home. It was a wonderful sight and sound. It was here, on that final straight stretch to the finish line, that I began to tear up and this overwhelming surge of emotion bloomed out of my chest and swept over me. I am not a person that cries easily or shows much emotion under most situations. I am very embarrassed to show emotion, I was (wrongly) raised with the misconception that tears and crying were signs of weakness, that emotions involving crying were not shown, and when I usually feel overly emotional my face becomes like a stone mask with jaw clenched and I quickly swallow the feeling and go cold and logical (much to the dismay of my wonderful husband). I quickly, out of habit, swallowed this emotion and made it to the finish line. In hindsight I really wish I had let myself continue to feel this emotion and revel in it. You only get one first 100 mile finish. Cry if you feel like it, laugh if you feel like it, do both loudly and proudly if you feel like it, and be proud of that accomplishment. I accepted my congratulations from the people around the finish line and greeted another runner that had come in from San Antonio to do the race then suddenly remembered the bathroom (must not have been that urgent after all if I could have forgotten about it so many times) and quickly made my way there.

Cactus Rose Recon

2008-10-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Cactus Rose Recon

This morning I decided to run the remainder of the loop for the Cactus Rose 100 coming up next weekend. I dare say that I have run every trail in Hill Country SNA before, just not in the right order for the race. It is by far my favorite training run site within driving distance. I did part of the course Friday and decided to finish it today. Let me start with the fact that it is dark there at 5am. I mean DARK, my Grandfather would have said “as dark as the inside of a well digger’s…” I’m sure you get the picture. This morning there was no moon or stars to be seen. For me running alone in the dark is one of life’s greatest treasures. I love to be out just putting one foot in front of the other a few hours before dawn and having nothing to even hint at the fact that I am not the only person inhabiting this planet. If I can keep myself from running too far or too long and can get home before my family wakes and have homemade buttermilk waffles made for everyone by the time they come down to the kitchen, well, it doesn’t get any better than that in my book.

I head out from my car with my headlamp firmly in place. I do not like wearing a headlamp (I am adverse to anyone or anything touching my face), but highly recommend one for this run. Even if there happens to be a moon, since the terrain will hide much of the light and there are rocks everywhere. I had forgotten my flashlight (actually one of the kids had nicked it yet again from the center console of my car) so I also was armed with another headlamp in my hand, but never needed it. As for the rocks, there are tiny little rocks on top of bigger rocks on top of even bigger rocks which are on top of rocks the size of SUVs. Hope this is giving you the picture. These rocks seem to defy gravity by remaining where they are on a precarious slope until your foot comes in contact with them and then they play a game of avalanche. If you can run the downhills with your feet planted sideways I highly suggest this method. I sort of alternated leading with first one foot then the other so as to keep everything as balanced as possible. If you choose to walk any of the downhills I also suggest you plan to plant your feet sideways.

As soon as I started I saw something off to the side of the trail. At first it just scared me, then it really jolted me since it was the business end of a skunk posed and ready to defend his position. I jumped, yelped, and quickly scrambled backwards. By the time I noticed him he was only a very few feet away and I was most definitely within striking distance (I have been in this position before and really wasn't in the mood for a V-8 bath, no to mention I was also wearing my favorite jogbra). I then preceded to stand very still (and hopefully nonthreatening) until he figured out where he was going and was well on his way. Another thing you will notice here is what looks like dozens (this is very conservative, but you have to see it to believe the actual number) of tiny blue-green flashbulbs going off in the grass around your feet. These are the eyes of tiny little spiders. I think this is quite a pretty sight and it will be one of the things I miss when we eventually PCS from Texas. Any of you that have run Rocky Raccoon will know what I am talking about. Anyone afraid of spiders, don’t panic, I believe them to be completely harmless. i have some experience with these little guys. While I was acting as a pacer at RR100 my runner wanted to take a short nap beside the trail and I decided to take advantage of this to also catch my own cat nap. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around his legs since he said they were feeling a little tired and cold. Now in short sleeves and shorts, I happened to lay down in a giant nest of these spiders and by the time I realized my mistake I could tell my runner was asleep. I didn’t want to disturb his nap so lay very still so as not to rustle the leaves. By the time my runner’s alarm went off I was completely covered with the little buggers. However, I did not receive a single bite.

The trail for Cactus Rose is as the RD promises, lots of ups and downs and not much flat. It is, however, truly beautiful. I do suggest that you come to a complete stop, and consider checking your footing, if you choose to admire any of the scenery, including the grasses and plants just off the trail, since the parts of the trail that aren’t made up of piles of rocks are strewn with roots just high enough above the surface to not be obvious, but to trip you nonetheless if you break concentration for even an instant.

When the sun made its appearance it was breathtaking. I happened to be on one of the hilltops and there was fog rolling around the valleys (could be why no stars or moon, not sure). As for the timing, I turned off my headlamp and placed it in my pack at 7:30 sharp. It was still a little dusky, but I really do hate wearing one so will rid myself of it at the first opportunity. I often run in the dark and prefer to not use any light if I can possibly get away with it. As reference I will say that not once did I turn on my headlamp or flashlight during Heartland outside of the porta-potty (have a deep seated fear from childhood, when there were known to be snakes in the toilets of our lake house and hunting cabin, of a snake being inside a toilet and can not sit without making sure, even in my upstairs bathroom at home). Bring a backup light with you at all times of darkness during this race, because if you are without light, you will have to come to a standstill until daylight arrives. I really don’t see any other option.

There is a nice change-up of terrain here and you should never get bored. As soon as you are tired of going up, you will go down, when you get tired of going up and down, you will get a tiny piece of flat. Run all the flats, there aren’t enough to make this a bad plan. There are a couple of places where you cross a “stream”, but unless there are some really heavy rains close to race day, you would have to try really hard to get wet and even then it wouldn’t be a guarantee.

I hope this helps anyone planning on attending this year, and maybe gets a few of you thinking about placing it in your schedule for next year. For any of you hoping to see some of nature’s creatures while running, I also saw a deer and the bluest bird I have seen along with a couple of red birds playing through the trees (I do not have any idea as to what kind of birds they were, all birds give me the creeps). There is a also big bold sign up in the parking area of one of the aid stations that warns you to look out for snakes, but I have never personally seen one here and have spent several hours running the trails and also talked to the park rangers who have also not seen any snakes while out hiking in the park.

As for temp and clothing choice, don't know what to suggest for you here. Friday morning I wore a short sleeved smartwool top and really wished I had on long sleeves and glove liners. This morning I started out in a thin long sleeved top and by the time I had run 15 minutes I had stripped down to shorts and jogbra and was still hot. I guess just be prepared for anything between low 50's and mid 80's. I know that people not from Texas often think it is dry here (at least I did) but it is humid to the point of feeling drippy here for me. Plan to drink lots of water. When I would stop to orient myself with the map at trail crossings I would leave behind a puddle from all the sweat dripping off my body. The RD also suggests wearing long pants due to the vegetation here that looks like giant clumps of grass with spikes along the edges. I ran in shorts and look like I was attacked by a litter of kittens, but feel that the grasses catching on my pants along with the added heat issue would be more annoying to me than the scratches.

I hope that I am not the only one who was able to take advantage of this morning to get in a wonderful run.