Month: May 2015

What a weekend! First 100k, in just under 20 hrs – and yeah, I sprinted to the finish line, and its uphill 😉

In looking back at last yrs ATR24 recap, I can say that much of today’s report is similar. I got to see Cori and Rachel again and meet a few other cool people. The Athletic Equation team is second to none and make you feel like a super star and part of the family the entire time. I made a few new random friends, as we always seem to do during an ultra – especially when there isn’t a soul to see other than yourself and one other person as far as the eyes can see. It is a whole different dynamic and breed of relationship when you share these adventures with others.
Oh, and a pre-race dinner with my friend Josh and loads of gluten free pasta and just enuf wine to help me sleep in the stupid cabin – and one cool thing that happened impromptu, I got to do a dry run on the trail the day before with my friend Charlie as he marked the trail for the race, and I helped a little bit with that. I cant tell you how much that helped me know my way the next day! Thanks guys for the encouragement etc.
I did most of my laps alone though, and enjoyed the solo time with my own thoughts and enjoying what I like to call Trail Treasures….

I feel God in every tiny beautiful flower or butterfly.
Steve did of course show up and do lap 8 with me, just as it began to get dark – and thankfully showed up with a light source much better than what I’d brought. I was thankful for the effort of the long drive and just being there for me 😉 then he had to go back home to the kiddos.
Then I did 9 alone. Then I met a friend that I did the better part of lap 10 with. His name was Manuel and was on his 12th lap, and had driven all the way from Ontario.
As we were in the last mile (which takes a good 20 minutes in the pitch dark after 20 hrs of running and hiking) we discussed if we would keep going. We knew we would have 4 more hours before the race closed. 4 hours is more than enough time to finish two laps in the day light on fresh legs, but not so much in the dark when exhausted. So should we go for one more? This would put him at 126k and me at 110. Then I’d be one away from 75 miles w/out enough time……”I need a break” I said – He sounded like a little disappointed kid in a store “OK”. I laid down, I didnt get up until 3.5 hrs later, the race was nearly over…and it was over for me.
Maybe if I had 5 hours – maybe if I just hadn’t taken those two long 30 min breaks – I would have taken the risk – I did manage to average a 90 minute loop (my longest was technically 2 hrs) but those couple of breaks…. ((usually spend picking rocks out of my shoes, going to the bathroom, refreshing glide, eating & waiting for Steve etc) pushed me to the point that 4 hours didn’t seem like it would be long enough for two laps….
I wanted to finish at 100k or 75 miles. Not 110k 😉 It doesn’t have to make sense. Hell, after 20 hrs on your feet, nothing makes sense really. And I did hallucinate a little bit in loop 9 (first time since JFK50). I couldn’t remember what Ryan (who trained me for my first ultra a few yrs ago) told me back then I needed to do or eat or whatever to resolve it, so I just told myself, The things youre seeing aren’t real, and kept going.
Then I resisted jumping in my car after all that running, like I did last yr – and I went and laid down in the cabin. As uncomfortable as I was, I was able to pass out quickly.

A few take aways & tips (skip this if you never plan to ultra):
– When youre running a technical trail – keep your eyes on your next step. That’s it. I personally would rather run face first into a tree or another runner than miss my step and wipe out on a root or rock or stump.
As you grow tired, its all the more important to just watch your steps – especially when its dark.
– Do NOT be distracted by every little thing. Snakes, animals rumbling around – noises, flickers — stay focused (ADD).
I cared less and less about bugs, snakes and spider webs as the night went on. I saw disgusting things. At night in the woods there are so many insects. There are slugs of mega proportion coming out of the water and onto the rocks that are getting slippier and slippier (yes I Just made that word up).
– Be wise to your personal nutrition needs and tolerances. I personally could not handle the sodium intake of Tale Wind – I was swollen and had lost all sense of thirst and hunger. I had to dilute it and go for straight water –and now that I think of it, I do the same thing with Gatoraide – so maybe, if you find your hands swelling or belly distending, just stick to water. I only did one GU the whole time and ate very little. THANK GOODNESS FOR FRIENDS AND CREW TO KEEP ME ON TRACK THERE!
– Watch the color of your pee and keep track of how often youre going. Gross right – but important. If youre properly hydrated, you should pee often.
– Tie your shoes TIGHT. Yep. You don’t want your feet sliding around – especially with lots of inclines. Wear good draining socks. *Smart wool*
– And lastly – for hilly courses, I have found (and this is opposite of most of the runners – which is why I spent so much time alone) – if you have a choice, going up the hill is better than going down them – I promise. Even today, I can run up the stairs, just cant hardly walk down them. And when you are climbing, hunch over like an ape and swing your arms (thanks Ryan for this tip that has saved me a million times).
That’s it for now I guess.

In closing, I finished 7th female overall (w the next female 3 hrs behind me and the next one an hr behind her)