RUN (and WALK) 61-ish miles in 17 hours 24 mins
Pre-race: shower and brekkie of rice, egg, and banana. Not very hungry but satisfied. Dressed, checked out, drove to race. To my surprise, easy parking. Stop by tent to drop gear, rest, and think.
Perfect day weather-wise: sun, warm but not hot, no wind, quiet and calm. Maybe some rain later.
Race meeting was ScottyK, part of it telling us that trains don't turn left and they don't turn right. So if you get to an intersection and wonder where to go, ask "what would a train do". LOL. And the first have of an ultra -- don't be an idiot. Second half -- don't be a wimp. Anthem. Intros of some course celebs. Then GO!
In my head, I broke the race down into 20+10+10+20 so the same here as I can.
0-20 miles: Start to Monroe AS. The course started in town then we settled into the trail -- like a jeep trail of smooth dirt/gravel, grass, canopy of trees for shade, pretty rock cuts sometimes and other times vistas of rolling fields and meadows. I ran the first 6 miles without much break, I planned to walk but was enjoying the company of other runners. The first aid station seemed to come up fast and I seemed to stay too long. Bites of orange, salt, jelly beans. Out.
After this I settled into my run/walk pattern of run to 1 mile then walk 1-2 mins, repeat. My groin/hip was hurting but not too bad yet. I ate half a powerbar every hour or so, drank lots of water, things rolling along good here. But after 17 miles the walk breaks became longer and longer. I was averaging 10-11 m/m running, 11-13 m/m with the run/walk. Great, but too fast too early. I told myself I was enjoying it while it lasted, the good feeling I mean. I enjoyed it! But...
There was another AS this time with the CMAR RD who recognized my shirt! They had wireless microphones and would announce runners as they came in :)
Right before Monroe, the 20 mile aid station and my first drop bag, we had a detour off trail onto the shoulder of a highway. There was a slope and shoulder gravel, that really cranked on the groin/hip injury. Started walking here and running much less. I was eager to get back on the trail but kept walking once there. Walked into Monroe with Nick, a runner with an Achilles injury.
Monroe AS - Found Dad and Kaitlynn! This was the Hennepin AS, refilled and restocked. Still feeling good. Spent too much time there though - maybe 15 minutes? It felt great to be talking and connecting with someone, but gotta go!!!!
20-31 miles: Monroe to Orangeville turnaround. I kept mostly walking to Orangeville, now the hip was really hurting more and I realized I had a fucking long way to go, why get it worse now when I'll need it later? And the heat was getting higher, my heart rate reflecting it. Running was putting my HR into the 135-140 range, my limit is 150 so I wasn't "high" yet, but it kept slowly creeping over the course of the morning. This seemed reason enough to walk -- hip, heat, heart.
There was a small AS near Clarno, in/out gone looking forward to Orangeville. Getting a little mental fuzz here. But approaching Orangeville I got my mental AS list ready: water, bathroom, sunscreen, bugspray, and a real meal. I'd only been eating orange bites, banana bites, jelly beans, trail mix, and powerbars so far. And I didn't want any more!
I could hear COWBELL as I approached Orangeville, and saw a few people in yellow shirts. A guy and two kids -- and I got close -- MY HIVE!! The BEST ever, they had matching handmade hive shirts for the bee crew. I teared up a little. And Linda was there, but my mind didn't process this until after I started running again.
I changed into my bee gear -- bee gaiters, sparkle skirt, and headband. I also grabbed the anti-inflammatory and paid meds, and some caffeine pills. Knew I'd need them. All checklist items done, but no food. Oh well, this was a very quiet and low-excitement AS, and I needed to get away before too long. I was there 15 minutes again.
Turnaround time: 7 hours into the race. Good!
31-40 miles: Back to Monroe. Now I was fully walking, but a fast pushed walk. I was aiming for sub-15 m/m walk and doing OK with that. Every so often I'd try a run, but only last a few yards. I met two guys in orange shirts who joked about the bee costume, other runners also cheering me on. Through Clarno where a guy I'd been talking to dropped. Gotta to, get OUT.
Somewhere in here Lev found me using the iphone tracker. Total surprise!! At first he said he'd walk a mile or two, then turn around. Then he said he'd walk to the next AS then turn around. Well that never happened, and from here to the finish he paced me.
We made it to Monroe at 10 hours and 41 miles. I was still walking, and my family was there. Oooh they made the rest of the day happen for me, just like Lev did. In Monroe Steve made me a banana, jelly, nutella smush in my silicone cup and it was delicious -- that's what I need to bring to Hennepin. I stuck it in the Camelbak, said goodbyes to M&D who where heading back home, and we headed out of Monroe to the detour.
This time, the detour seemed even worse. But as we passed the ice cream shop, Lev dived in and brought back two cups of pure caramel sauce! OMG LOL!!!!!!! It was wonderful to eat, but it caused problems later. I finally was able to get his life story, all the moving and how he joined the army. He did most of the talking, I was too busy thinking to talk.
Around 11:24 and 46 miles, the garmin died. This is also something for Hennepin. Once the garmin died, I lost all sense of time and distance. I couldn't tell if one minute or 30 minutes had gone by. I swear up and down we'd gone further, but Lev's phone tracker would say only a mile.
So the garmin died around 8:30pm, and this was when the sun set. It was a long slow twighlight so pretty and I enjoyed all of it. The post-new moon was a bright sliver in the western sky. Farms and trees were lit with red light from the sun, it was so quiet and I felt such a tranquility and inner calm. This is why I do this.
The inner calm and tranquil ended soon enough. After the garmin died and the sun set, I can't remember the order of events, when things happened, where I was, and or for how long. So the report becomes a mess after this. It will be a jumble or recollections.
Even though I didn't eat all of the caramel sauce, it still upset my stomach. I started retching and trying to throw up but couldn't. My feet had developed blisters on the heels, likely from the walking, both feet and it burned like hell. My hip was OK with the walking. I didn't eat after the caramel sauce, so somewhere around 12 hours in my nutrition stopped. I was still drinking OK, but no hunger at all for anything. Not even Steve's MixMix that I love.
Monticello AS -- I sat in a chair for a few mins. I was on/off dizzy as we walked. Two 100 milers who had to drop where there. I hurried out. There was a Gutzman AS - not sure where on the course, I don't remember it, but my sis said after the race that they were there and showed me the glow in the dark on their shirts. I remember the glow in the dark but that's all.
Lev was playing videos, songs, dancing ahead of me on the trail. I was more worried about him -- no water or fuel, wasting energy, not dressed proper for this. He kept saying he'd stop soon. He played the I Like To Move It song, Full Metal Jacket clips, a Sully?? song Scally? Scully? not sure over and over. These kept me moving. He kept pulling me along, coaching and pushing, I kept bending over to retch and he'd get me going again. I'd stop for being dizzy and he'd get me going again. What would I have done without him? I think I would have slowed down, but would I have been able to finish?
We could see lightning over Belleville, and my sis said it was raining. I didn't have rain gear, and I'd forgotten my long sleeve tshirt in my drop bag. She offered to bring a poncho or long sleeve. We kept walking, watching the lightning. It only rained the littlest bit, enough to wet the skin but not clothes. It was enough to cool me off, and Lev noted my skin was cold. He was so warm in comparison, and he said I need to keep moving to keep warm.
I don't know where were were. I'd think we should be waaaaaay past an AS and yet hadn't seen it yet. I kept thinking the tunnel should be any second, but no it wasn't. I didn't mention the tunnel above! It's a race highlight! During the day, it was 3-4 miles out from town, pure dark and cool, didn't stop to see it because there were so many other runners.
This time, we noted a foggy mist in the air and the temp dropped. It was so dark, we couldn't tell if we were in the tunnel or not, but eventually it appeared in my headlamp when I looked up. This was a fun part of the course. We knew we were out then the air warmed up, and sure enough trees overhead.
3-4 miles to go. Now time really messed up for me. I kept looking for the mile marker 13 sign -- it was the first once I'd seen at the start of the race and I knew that once I saw it I was soon done. But no 13......15. JFC how could I be that far off in my distance? It seemed forever until 14. Another forever until 13. I kept saying, Where the FUCK is Belleville. Lev kept saying, keep hurrying, keep walking. I replied, this is me hurrying or this is me walking. LOL. Wasn't funny at the time, but it was funny.
At some point my sis found us on the trail. I can't remember where or when. Offered to swap places with Lev, but he wasn't leaving. She provided a much needed boost of mental energy, a different conversation and focus. I could ask how's the kids, the rain, the tent. She turned around and back to her car, I tried to say how much it helped me but I'm not sure it came out.
I was suffering. Dizzy, cold, feet burning, hip hurting but not the top of the problem list. Not eating, mental disorientation, retching. I look back now and can't really remember how bad it was. I didn't want to stop, but I had such trouble moving.
Hmmmm looking back -- that's probably a blood glucose issue. Lots of mental like that means blood sugar. Another note for Hennepin.
Finally 13. And Belleville. The streets we crossed. The bridge and trail change. Then the finish line disco ball. The finish line, with ScottyK waiting for me. I broke down in tears, saying "I'm not supposed to be here".
And that, I think, is what made this day so important to me. I need to prove to ME that I could still do this. I needed the trial and pain. I needed the test, a day to find myself again. I hugged Scott, Michelle, thanked Lev (who needed to get back to his hotel!), and after sitting awhile at the finish we headed to the tent.
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I was wondering about having rhabo, but nope the white toilet proved otherwise. I was scared to take off my shoes and see the mess of blisters. It was worse than expected. All day long I wanted a shower but now I couldn't even think to change clothes. Michelle brought some cheese and an orange, but I couldn't even think to eat. I laid out on the sleeping back with a bag of ice over my groin, feet elevated. I held my finisher medal to my chest. Done. And just listened to my heart beat. Calm.
I couldn't sleep, I was too tired and pained. And shivering. Whole body shivering. Teeth clacking together and I was unable to warm up. I realized now how wet my clothes were and managed to change. Then got into the sleeping back with a blanket, and finally warmed up. Sometimes I could hear the cowbells of another runner coming in. And my heart beat, still calm.
Around 530 I was awake needing to pee. I didn't want to wake the other tent, so quiet as I could I got out and walked over, walking might be a generous way to describe it, and started full shivering again. So much energy lost to shivering, I couldn't stop. But back to bed and 2 more hours of rest.
To my surprise I was up at 7-730 and actually moving around slowly. My blisters were nasty but closed: one bloody one on the medial left ankle, on under the left ball of my foot, right heal blister that went under the heal and up the back. Hip pained but not back since I wasn't really walking. Everything else that hurt yesterday -- left elbow from the arm swinging, lower back from the walking, all else minor and OK. Still no appetite, not even when we went for breakfast after Lev's race started. He's amazing, to have walked 24-ish miles last night and be racing now.
When I finished, I didn't know my time. I cared, but I didn't care. But now that results are posted --
I was 25th of 48 finishers (I think 68 registered), and 8 of 17 females. I'm disappointed in a way with my time, but know full well that was not my goal.
I'm terribly happy I did this, I went in with so much doubt with the hip and Hennepin only 2 months away. I realized I could have ruined the Hennepin race for myself, not being able to recover and maybe the hip taking me out of running entirely. Yet I'm still terribly happy, and if this race ends up being my Race of the Year, so be it. I'm terribly happy.
