Running Strategery: Free State Trail Runs 100K (4/19/2014)

Going back to Kansas for a trail ultra is sort of like coming home... Free State Trail Runs, and Clinton Lake State Park, is where I ran my first marathon in 2010, and my first 100K in 2012 after my 2011 deployment to Afghanistan... so it definitely has a special place in my heart.  More importantly it is the home of the Mud Babes and many of the Trail Nerds that I met back in 2010. Okay- enough with the nostalgia and on with the race report...

So for those not in Kansas- remember that Kansas is not quite flat...well not as flat as Florida, and not as hilly as let say anywhere with mountains... but the rollers are nothing to joke about.  So going in I knew I might struggle with the hills a little, and well my legs were a tad bit tired from all the sand-running the weekend before at the Wild Sebastian Marathon... so the plan was to start slow and then go from there... Free State is a 20+ mile loop course- so three laps for 100K... 

Pre-race with the Mud Babes- and Matt

Loop 1: Emily, Sophia and I ran just about the entire lap together... Emily lead us off from the start- maybe a little too fast for my legs- they may have needed a slower wake up in the morning... plus we were running most of the uphills in the early part of the course- but it is not everyday that I get to run with these amazing women- so I stuck with it- even though my inner voice was screaming at me.  Sophia was super helpful in talking through the landmarks along the course- it had been a couple years since I had run at Clinton- so I was trying to pay attention for my follow on laps...  Oddly I started to feel a little better as we came through the red section- a fun and rather technical part of the course. By this part Sophia was in the lead- we  switched on and off, all of us would take the lead and think we weren't pushing enough- but in most cases we were pushing just enough- or in some cases too much.  My legs would bear the brunt of this lap, just not taking way too much time recover after the ups. It was nice to see Kurt and Heather at the Land's End Aid Station, and Tony Clark at the KUS Aid Station... Lap 1 ended up at about 4:15 for me after I dropped back  a little from Sophia and Emily... While I love running with these ladies- we really need to have better pre-race communication- I have discovered that I need about a 90 second walk after an Aid Station really helps to kick start my digestion- or at least it makes me feel better... I however forgot to share this with Emily and Sophia..

Emily and I coming off of the Red trail (finally a pic together)

Nearing the end of first loop

Loop 2: After seeing Danny L. (the original Mud Stud) at the Start/Finish Aid Station I rolled out for the second loop.  It was starting to get a little warm, and my stomach was still trying to digest... so I started out with a brisk walk.  Emily and I started the second loop, Sophia sped ahead.  I was glad to see she was feeling good- especially after coming off of Bronchitis.  Emily was having issues with her calf so we enacted a walk up, run flat and down policy... we came up on Alissa- and then I demonstrated my acrobatic talents with a most spectacular tumble... Thanks to Emily who picked out the dead leaves from my skirt... apparently they would have cause some major chaffing- and my next two laps would be way more comfortable for it... Emily was really fighting through pain but I was happy to run with her and chit chat.  I stayed with her until the RWB aid station, where I left her in the capable hands of a shirtless man with "magic hands"  and rolled out... My stomach had finally digested the food from the first lap- that slow start to the second lap was helpful- and my legs really started to feel better- so I continued on- running more the walking. I saw Sophia coming out of the KUS Aid station- she was looking good.  I was doing pretty well then boom another fall- this time not nearly as graceful- I may have fallen in about the same spot two years prior-stupid stupid white trail...  I started to feel some weird twinging after that fall- and really started to struggle the last 3.5 miles of the loop.  Luckily Kurt was there to lift my spirits and give me a pig in a blanket and an ibuprofen (my first of the day) and of course he said to me- see you in about 10 miles...  and so I plodded along to the start/finish area. Thankfully Danny, Emily and Matt were there to give me what I needed- a swift kick in the ass- and an awesome roll-out and stretch... and what might be about 1/4 of a watermelon.... I was pretty much a pain in the ass- but they pushed me out of the aid station at 9:45 (almost and hour slower than my first time running this course) but I RAN out of the aid station....

Plodding along the last couple of miles of loop 2

finishing up loop 2... seriously unhappy

Headed out for loop 3- yes that is watermelon and yes I am running

 

Loop 3: Basically I decided once I ran out of the aid station that I was going to get er done.  I think I said "F*ck this, it is going to suck, but you don't want to be out here all night so keep running"  and thus the strategery for the last loop was born...  I was a good ten minutes behind Alissa at the start of loop 3, and oddly I had not seen many other runners at this point... weird- was I really going that slow... screw it- run faster... I hit the RWB aid station- Mel was there- she assisted my with my coke, ice and watermelon- let me know that Sophia was not too terribly far ahead of me- so I was in and out- and moving... I caught up to Alissa and and her pacer Amy on the red trail- I was happy to see them- that meant I was doing all right.   They left out of Land's End a little in front of me- but I was happy to have someone to chase. I saw the back of Sophia headed back on white as I headed out to the road- up the hill to KUS to put in my cheeseburger order (thanks Tony)- I was kind of hungry at this point- and I was happy it was still light out... I ran the heck out of the weird mile- and it was back for a cheeseburger. I caught back up with Carl and would chase him all the way back to the finish... I was trying to do math in my head as I came into Land's End calculating what my finish time might be... I needed just a bit more water to make it to the finish- I however was not about to take the pack off- so I got a pit stop re-water and they pushed me out-and I was thinking I might be able to make it in before 15 hours- not my original goal- but at this point I just wanted to be in the 14s.  I put Pitbull's Timber on repeat and started running- really running- and then boom- face plant! Weird that song really just had me running well... I revisited my strategery- and I moved on...  Running up the hill to and through the finish... barely squeaking in under 15 with an official time of 14:59:14... Come to find out I was the 13th finisher... out of 14- Alissa finished about 20ish minutes later... out of the 14 finishers- 8 were women... bad asses for sure.

Running into the finish...

Discussing Loop 3- F*ck it Strategy w/ Sophia

Happy to be finished

Post Race: Thanks to Sophia for mixing up my magic recovery drink... and Allison for picking me up and feeding me pizza and chocolate cake, and of course laughing with me at my weird looking happy feet- I think I was laughing so hard that Allison thought there was something seriously wrong...until she saw that my toes had dirt smiles... 

Happy Feet... 100K style

Parting Thoughts:  So it was a tough day... I learned that I need more hill training and that I can clearly survive the heat.  I need not listen to my inner voice when it is whining...I should punch it in the throat instead...  and that I should really always start slower than I think I should... and that I should always have a race strategy or there is a strategery that develops along the way... and F*ck It sometimes is the best back up strategy as it will get you to the finish line!

Finally thanks to Ben Holmes for another great experience at Free State, and the beer mug...and to Kristi and Rick Mayo of Mile 90 photography... they are AWESOME!!!!

Last Minute Marathon... Wild Sebastian (4/12/2014)

Wild Sebastian Marathon- Wildly Expensive... I normally make decisions about races at least a couple weeks in advance- this time was about 96 hours in advance-in hopes of curing my Keys fever-mostly the desire to see a civilization. So I book the hotel, a bonus that Rip' gets to come for about an extra $20- and then I register- I get it- it's late- but seriously $175... well maybe it's really well run, and there will be good stocked aid stations- and well I know some of that is bound for the 100 milers...

Having to work a mostly full day on Friday- I got a pretty late jump on travel, so I missed the pre-race meeting and packet pick-up, caught a salmon dinner from Red Lobster... don't chastise me it was within walking distance of the hotel, and waffle house was the only other thing open... prepped for the morning and some sleep and it was up and at it at 0500... and start making my way to the Start- a 30 minute drive, a bathroom stop at the Gas Station and on to the park... 

Taken after the race on my way to volunteer at an Aid Station

Stopped quickly at the Start/Finish Line area to pick up my packet and then drove a little further parked and prepped up for the 0700 start... note I said 0700 or 7am.  As I was making my way to what I thought was the start, I learned that the start was about a mile down the road, although it wasn't quite cleat the if it was just the marathon, or everything, or what, none of the volunteers were very clear... so already we are off to a bang up start...  so I walked my way down to the start with some other runners... and we waited...

I hate being late.

  And then somewhere close to 7:20ish we started.  I did take the opportunity to talk to some Florida Ultra Runners I had run with at some of the other races... and I saw Deb and Amanda from the Keys, who I would see several times throughout the day... Standing next to a woman named Loren, who I ran about 10ish miles with, we were off, running comfortably but maybe a tad faster than I had planned.  We ran the first 8-ish pretty comfortably chit chatting along the way...learning about how Loren and her now husband farted their way into each others hearts... among other things.

The trail was pretty nice, not technical, small spots of sand here and there, but really well marked.  I dropped back just before the second aid station, I needed to stretch a little, and I was in serious need of some coke, oranges or something... well I dug around for some coke and poured myself some, and had some pretzels- helped Amanda with her water pack and ice etc. and walked my way  out of the aid station... still feeling pretty good- the humidity was starting to build and the sun was starting to peek through the clouds.

After a strategic bathroom break, I really started to pick up the rhythm and pace again... and then this sugar sand bullshit... really... and just went I thought it was going to get better... it got worse... like calf deep sand... I power walked most of it...but seriously do you blame me....

Sugary Sand...

So not having seen the Spring course map before the race- I wasn't quite sure where the aid stations were... this was slightly problematic, but apparently it wasn't discussed at the pre-race meeting either.  But luckily the aid stations all had at least one person who knew how far to the next aid station, and well there was ice, coke, melons although you had to dig around for them- and there was also some weird meat products- cocktail wieners and pepperoni- and some potato chips but I tried to limit myself as there were 50, 75 and 100 milers and the aid stations looked a little thin on supplies...

I caught back up to Loren at aid station #3 and I ate some melon, drank some coke and then started to make way to the next aid station- running a good pace still and starting to catch folks in front of me.  

up  Electrolytes and water were well balanced, even with the temperature and humidity rising. I had been working hard to get a good balance and understand my needs as they relate to electrolyte and sodium intake as not to over/under do it. Somehow that melon was not sitting well in my stomach- popped a gin-gin and kept chugging along.  Caught up to a nice man running the 50 miler, he was a Floridian and happy to be running in the sand... great guy to share some miles to the next aid station (#4) with...  I rolled in and ran into Amanda and Deb- they were really cruising through the first lap of their 50.  I had to keep reminding myself that Freestate 100Kwas merely a week away, and I needed to keep it somewhat conservative. 

So I rolled out, still running pretty strong, just getting frustrated with my stomach and the horrible sand pits that kept popping up. I would have rather had rocks, or hills or anything but that darned sand.  I did on this stretch meet a nice guy running the 100 and his pacer on a mountain bike.  This part of the trail was pretty nice- we got a little shade until we hit the 2nd aid station... this would be #5 as well... 

Well marked-on the way back to aid station #5

I saw Deb and Amanda leaving and I caught a couple of people who were trying to cool down as the temperature was really starting to warm up, and there was no hiding from the sun.  I grabbed some coke, some pretzels and a handful of ice and headed three-ish miles to the next aid station (that I would later man for about 5 hours) I was walking more and running less out of this one- and the 100miler man caught back up to me and we really bounced back and forth to aid station #6 (although it was named 5-so confusing). The guy running this was an ultra runner- he had all the goodies- cookies- nutella... and a great attitude. With only 3 miles to go, I went with my standard coke and pretzels and headed out... 

seriously more of this crappy sand shit..

The last miles went pretty fast, I was being pushed by the man running the 100- should have gotten his name, but we had some nice chit chat time... He pulled ahead of me with about 3/4 mile left. I was still having on and off again stomach spurts- burping up melon- not fun.  I turned the corner and realized I was running through the parking lot I had parked in- there were lots of people cheering- but no this was not the finish line... I of course gave out some high fives... made a right turn and headed to the finish... somewhere about 5:22 or so... not sure of the official time... chip timing wasn't working- so the results were hand jammed...  my first official time was 6:14- not sure where the time went... so I will go with my Garmin on this one...

After finishing I cheered Deb and Amanda on for their second loop, and went over to the RD to get an assignment for volunteering after a shower and a bite to eat...I hung around for a few more minutes to see Loren finish and chit chat with her and her husband about running in South Florida and about some future events and places to run trails while I drank my recovery drink...

Overall- not bad- the best part was meeting other runners.  I would say, a little less than professionally ran (a 20 minute late start is never good- and no online map resources or maps at packet pick up, hell have all the volunteers know where the race starts) It was more like a supported training run than an ultra. I know I only ran marathon but if I would have run any more loops... well I can say I more than likely won't be back to this one...  

Green Swamp 50 miler: Running with the right 'tude...

Attitude. Amazingly it is sometimes the thing we think about last when about to start a race, maybe getting into the right attitude, and having the right outlook at the beginning can help us get through the weird scheisse that inevitably hits us... This past weekend was all about having the right attitude during the Green Swamp 50 miler, my second fifty miler in two weeks.

The Dances with Dirt Green Swamp event is one of four events that make up the Dances with Dirt Series. Saturday's races included a 50 miler (duh), 50k, Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 10k, and a 50 mile relay- which would totally throw me off in the last couple of legs of the race. Luckily the 50m started about 90 minutes ahead of all the other events- this of course meant a super early morning, after a full 7 1/2 hour day of driving up from the keys to Tampa- with Rip', getting settled into the hotel, dinner, etc.. all after a very bumpy, and quite unfriendly packet pickup experience.

Race outfits are always a big decision... for this one I decided to wear all blue, down to the hair ties and shoes to show my support for blue4ben. For those not from Western New York or Clarence, Ben Sauer is a four year old boy, one in a set of twins that is fighting for life after being diagnosed with a stage IV glioblastoma, a malignant and extremely aggressive brain tumor.  www.blue4ben.com  follows the  ongoing journey of his family as he lives out his last weeks/months, and the support from family and friends and the city neighbors-Buffalo, NY all of whom are praying for a miracle for this little boy... truly inspiring...

Needless to say 0300 came very quickly; and my body was screaming at me that it needed more sleep in the lovely voice of nausea- which really made it hard to get calories in the body- I struggled to get every ounce of food down.  I arrived to the course start about 30 minutes early- and it was chilly... unfortunately I didn't plan on temps in the 30s- but luckily I had a lightweight jacket that would do the trick for the first 5-6 miles...

Seriously- this is Florida...

Getting ready to start... 

So I pretty much hung out in Juan Tiguan making my final adjustments before heading out to the race start.  There wasn't really a brief or anything, but she did wish us luck and we were off... heading straight out- then wait we are heading in the wrong direction...redirected by a volunteer on the course... okay... this could get interesting... a u-turn at the beginning, and we were off on the first 5 mile loop... The first 4.6 miles were pretty nice, winding through an area that we would return to in light later in the day... I was pretty good about staying on pace- and on course- meeting some nice ladies that were doing their first 50, and a veteran who was trying to stay conservative at the beginning... and then it happened- about 8 of us turned left, at a posted sign with reflective tape- about 1/2 mile later there were no flags- and we came up on an earlier portion of the loop, so after some reflection we headed back... the sign clearly pointing left- the flags continuing the course- clearly straight across... so after adding a little over a mile to the loop we made our way to the start/finish aid station- let them know- dropped my jacket and headlamp and headed out to the first 20 mile loop with a smile... a tad frustrated at the extra mile, but excited that I was actually had some solid food at the aid station. I just tried to remain focused on maintaining pace; an extra 17 minutes added by a mile of running and a couple extra minutes of confusion had me doing math in my head, making sure that I would make the course cutoffs.  There was a guy from outside of Detroit running just in front of me early into the first 20 mile loop, we stopped to enjoy a couple of picture opportunities early on... he would fade before hitting the 8 mile-Ranch Road aid station.

Scenic view from the bridge over the Withlacoochee River

Sunrise... finally..

Running into the Ranch Road aid station I was cruising right along. The volunteers offered some words of encouragement and with a handful of pringles I was out... Yep that's right pringles... my favorite on race day. The next leg of the course was pretty awesome, with some rolling (Florida-sized) hills even- not big ones- but enough to keep it interesting, the temperature was still pretty cool, and there was a nice breeze in the more open areas.  Then I ended up at the Traffic Jam Aid Station- and these volunteers were awesome- they were from a local hashing group- and they had plenty of energy- luckily I would get to see this kilted group a total of four times!  and so it was off for another 11ish miles until I would see them again.  Up to this point I had not seen any other runners, but I knew with the pace I was comfortably maintaining that I was bound to catch up to someone at some point, but not before almost rolling laughing at the sign below... those of you reading this with some military experience will understand why I thought this was amusing...

If only they had signs like this when I was a LT...

But it was straight ahead for me... and soon after this photo I ran into a fellow 50 miler. We exchanged pleasantries and I offered some encouragement, and kept rolling.  At this point I was just in a groove- temperature was perfect, pace was perfect, and I hit the next aid station... There were two marathoners and a 50ker that would pass me, but I caught another 50er, we walked/ran a little together and I was keeping a much faster pace and would leave him some where around mile 19 (or 20ish according to my watch!). The temps started to rise a little as I made it back towards the Traffic Jam A/S. Although we had some nice shady spots, and some mud heading there- and a bridge that would prove to be way more treacherous on the second loop!

bridge over troubling shoe sucking mud...

Then it was back at Traffic Jam A/S- super motivated volunteers in kilts, some high fives- one of the volunteers asked if I was one of the ones that was lost early on... Yes- and my response... hey I get an extra mile plus of beautiful scenic running that I didn't pay for... so I am the one winning! He laughed gave me a fist bump and with some more high fives to the kilted... I was off and being chased down by the half marathoners, they were running fast around me- not that I was going that slow... but now I know why it was named Traffic Jam... we moved off the road into some cypress knees... or more like a minefield of cypress stalagmites which led us to the refreshingly cool river crossing of the Withlacoochee River- thigh deep- almost felt like a mini ice bath about 24-25 miles in...

 Made my way back to the Start/Finish Line A/S to find a West Point Alum doing some volunteering- I didn't immediately recognize him but did chat a little once I figured it out... took some pics and headed out- I was really trying to reduce my time at the aid stations-this was not one of them...

Small world-photo op...

I started off on the second loop- passing some slow half marathoners... surprising the couple at Ranch Road A/S- they gave me my staples- told me to stay strong and I was off to see the kilted crew at Traffic Jam... not before doing a tuck and roll, combatives type roll-out after biting it on the trail... As I headed out towards the next manned aid station I realized wow it is getting pretty darn warm out... maybe mid-70s or even warmer...  but I was not going to slow down- I was feeling good and it still wasn't as hot as Fakahatchee two weeks ago.. plus I had two more 50ers in my sights, I passed them and kept moving... at the aid station I asked for ice... no ice... seriously... okay... oranges and lemme drink some coke...hot coke... like coffee temperature... not good... but I was off... the gin gins came out about 10 minutes later... so I was alone again and started up my ipod- although there were these really fast people that I kept seeing- but not 50 milers, but on the course... these I would learn later were the relay runners... at least they kept me motivated to keep running on pace. Heading back to Traffic Jam- it was hot, an open field, and my water was at best luke warm... I was happy to move back into the shade, I met up with a marathoner who was walking along- wished him well and moved through the muddy-but shaded area... and that bridge seemed way more menacing than before...

Hot and sunny second 20 mile loop... still happy

I was back at Traffic Jam- and about a 10K from finishing... I was hot, but happy to see the kilted crew. They were AWESOME... they shared ICE with me... such a morale booster!!!! Thankfully the kilted crew needed some ice to store their beer and Angry Orchard in... they offered me some hard cider- but I thought that might just make my stomach angry... they laughed and cheered me on as I ran towards the minefield of cypress knees- luckily the path was well worn at this point... and back to the start/finish to start the last five mile loop...

Cypress knees from hell (2nd  20 mile loop)

At this point I realized that I would be finishing somewhere around 52 miles... and if I kept a good pace under 11 hours... not bad considering the events of the day... so it was coke and ice (the only RD provided ice) and on my way.  There were lots of people out walking- some of them had been relayers, some 50kers still working their way to the finish, and some families who may have thought we were all crazy... but most of them had encouraging words and I kept moving through the loop, which looked entirely different in the light.  I was like wow, a tower, a building, a bridge... wtf... where were these on the first 5... I hit 50 miles on my garmin at about 10:29 and change, and I knew I had about two miles to go... and there goes the math in my head... and of course reminding myself straight not left... straight not left finally and then about 1/4 mile into the finish... I gave some high fives to the a/s volunteers on my way in... and the kilted crew- with all their hashers- were cheering- I gave some love and then into the finish- feeling strong at 10:52... not too shabby for two 50s in three weekends...

After finishing, I was walking back to my car when the kilted crew stopped to thank me for being the runner with the best attitude out there on the course, always smiling, saying thanks and having great energy. Interesting- I had never been thanked by a volunteer before, let alone a whole aid station of volunteers. Having a good attitude and a positive outlook on whatever was happening on the course- whether it be getting "misdirected", getting bonus miles, falling head over heels, or just being hot- my 'tude, the right attitude definitely made the difference... and made for a more rewarding experience...

Next up... April 18th Free State 100K

Panthers and Gators and Bears... Oh My... The Everglades Ultras Running Experience

My first ultra in Florida, the 3rd Annual Everglades Ultras 50 Mile in the absolutely stunning Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, would prove to be more challenging that I had initially anticipated.  I mean how bad could it be- Florida is flat and well in February the temps should be ideal for running... ah ha this is where I was wrong-oh so wrong-but I will get to that in a little bit...

I slowly made my way up from the keys with Rippin', my trusted travel partner, on Friday and headed to the Race Headquarters for the briefing and packet pickup. The briefing was pretty informative in terms of what would happen the next day really explaining everything from the shuttle ride to the start, the aid stations, and the involvement of the park rangers (who were absolutely awesome) on the course and general course conditions to include cap rock and Cypress Knees.  The RD briefed us that there were some accommodations made so we wouldn't get wet or muddy really, and having run most of my races in the mid-west, West Virginia and Virginia the thought of making cut around for the muddy areas and 2x6 bridges across standing water seemed a little funny... but with the looming threat of the gators I held my giggles... Rippin' was a pretty big hit at the race brief- even Dennis the Volunteer Coordinator came up to pet him, and some others were taking pictures, but it was time to roll to the motel.

Yes, you caught that correctly, motel, Conty's Motel in South Naples- a quaint little place, and a reminder of "old Florida" and well it was pretty much dirt cheap and dog friendly. A winner in my book. Check-in, headed to Publix for some staples, then to Carrabba's to pick up dinner... a little Carrabba's Pasta and some cheap wine for dinner, and a little race prep before turning in early... everything from picking out the outfit (cute and functional), head wear, headlamp, sock and shoes to solving the age old issue of Butter Chamois coming in an enormous bottle... my ingenious solution- using a travel hand sanitizer bottle emptied, dried and filled with the magic cream- which was a life saver during the race.

Conty's Motel...

nothing like a jerry-rigged motel shower head to inspire genius 

The morning of the race I got up at about 3am to get my body going, ate a little breakfast and of course a walk for Rippin', as he was going to endure a long day sleeping and watching TV in the wonderfully air conditioned room... Hopped in Juan-Tiguan and headed to the park, it was an extremely foggy morning, not particularly cool with the temperature somewhere in the high 60s. Driving along Tamiami Trail eating a almond butter, nutella and banana croissant, I saw some glowing eyes ahead and promptly slowed, only to find a panther trying to make its way across the road. Super cool start to the day...

Making my way to the park, and the Race HQs, I gathered my stuff and got on the bus, meeting Debbie and Amanda, two girls from Key West sporting pigtail braids as well.  After a quick roll call we headed out on the bumpy road to the start- about 3-4 miles or so down the road, where we got another brief by the Race Director, Bob Becker, and then it was off the bus and ready for the start...

Story time with the Bus Driver

Getting ready to start

We were off... and I was running a little too fast- so I made an effort to slow my pace down.  I had a plan- go out at about 12min pace and then work from there and at this point knowing that it was going to get hot, I slowed myself down.  The goal of the race was to run steady, not bonk, and be able to run on Sunday, going out too fast could ruin my chances at achieving my goal. The first 10 miles went by quickly, especially since the part of the park we were running in was absolutely stunning...and it was still relatively cool...

Happy, Alone and Unafraid

the trail early on...

I managed to get myself back on pace, and I was moving through the aid stations pretty well; high-fiving the volunteers, taking in some coke, oranges, banana and getting ice water! At this point I was managing my fluids and electrolytes really well, I hit about 18 miles or so, and had been playing yo-yo with Debbie and Amanda (the Keys Girls) but they would ultimately pull away from me a little shy of 19 as I peeled off to use the "facilities" and by mile 20, it was starting to get hot... and the beloved shade was completely gone and I rolled into the next aid station-grabbed a sandwich, coke, oranges, banana, ice and water... and I was sure to add only moderate the amount of ice, as I had learned the insulation sleeve in the Nathan pack was so effective the ice wasn't melting fast enough!

How the girls in the Keys roll..

a little cap rock hidden under the grass

The next aid station was mile 25ish- or halfway- known as Gate 19, I was steady getting there, still rolling at about 12min pace, and right on target for a little over a 10 hour finish, but there was no shade- and did I tell you it was getting hot... so rolling into the aid station I was thrilled to see people, there were other runners- they were all looking a little rough from the heat, and all I really wanted was coke, some oranges and some more ice on my back in my sports bra... now I am not a picky runner, and I am pretty self sufficient, and I love volunteers but after asking for some cut oranges I was handed a knife... really- well I rolled with it- praying that my race wasn't about to end because I cut off a finger... so I cut a whole orange... one guy remarked that he was surprised at my dexterity... of course this was in line with the volunteers handing me full cans of coke- and having to pour it in a cup... god love them- but it ate a lot of time at aid stations... but back to the race- so I was off- eating away and speed walking like a champ to digest, and just when I start running look left... gator in the water... the cold cold water- damn even the gators know its too hot....

Gator sighting and not the dead one getting eaten by vultures

So after that I started running, with a walk break about every 15 minutes or so, and it was getting hot for sure at this point, and alone again I had to put an earbud in for a little musical motivation. Electrolyte and water intake was balanced and I was moving smoothly and feeling strong and not particularly overheated, rolled by an unmanned aid station and grabbed some ice-should have grabbed water-stupid, stupid, stupid.... but I was moving and feeling good.  I rolled up on Sam from the Bay Area, he was having some issues with the heat, and well I needed some motivation and company, so we started a run/walk movement keeping about a 13min pace, and at about a mile out from the next aid station I ran out of water- but luckily there was a ranger on a gator(the vehicle, not the animal) and he was kind enough to give us a little bit to keep us going strong to the aid station (Dan House Prairie) and we ate a little time but there was a real port-a-potty and we needed ice, water, coke, fruit, and etc...

Sam and Erin Selfie- remarking how fricken' hot it is..

We rolled out behind the volunteer gator, and were informed there was no to little shade for the rest of the course... 20 more miles of baking sun...yikes...  

Coming out of the Dan House Prairie AS

So we continued our Run/Walk strategy, and I was doing a little better than Sam at this point, he was having stomach issues-so I shared some Gin-Gins with him, and we kept moving, passing a couple of points of water caches, and Sam told me to move ahead and I did, although a little worried about my new friend...  It was about four miles to the Four Stakes Prairie Aid Station at mile 38ish where I ran into Hans (a 73 year old beast also from the bay area).  Four Stakes-Best Aid Station on the course by far.  I got cup of coke, orange slices, a nice man took my pack, a nice lady gave me salted potatoes (only ones on the course) and this was a huge morale booster as I hadn't seen any Pringles on the course- a normal ultra staple... and a lady on a bike who put an ample amount of ice down the back of my bra... so awesome... and I was off but not before handing a handful of Gin-Gins to a volunteer to give to Sam. I rolled over the timing mat (yes in the middle of nowhere) and was off to the next AS where I would be in single digits. I could see people in front of me... at this point it was managing body temperature and making sure all miles were under 14min on a walk-run plan.... 

somewhere around the mid 30 miles- just like the Serengeti and damn near as hot... 

I hit mile 40 and I was on target for about a 11:30 finish, but I was feeling pretty good, all systems were working- I was peeing clear, and about every 90 mins- annoying but happy to know I was not going to die. Then I hit the Mud Tram Aid Station, and more runners- Debbie, Amanda, Hans and two other guys I didn't know... but would run with one of them in the final stretches.... I got my standard fill up, and I was so excited to be at single digits to the finish, and well the volunteers gave some high-fives and we snapped a picture before headed on the last 9ish miles... they may have thought I was crazy and/or delirious...

Mud Tram AS and volunteers- 9ish to go...

So it was 1.5 miles down the tram trail- which was somewhat shaded, filled with Cypress knees, but  shaded... so I rocked on until I hit James Scenic Road- a dirt/gravel road with pot holes... It was about 8 miles to the finish, and I would bounce back and forth with Debbie and Amanda until about a mile to go, when they would pull away... I handed out some more Gin-Gins and made my way to the finish after a couple more Aid Stations- the lady on the bike was at one of them- I asked her for the ice in the bra service-she obliged- I grabbed a cup of coke and some orange slices and rolled out... There was an aid station four miles out- I chose not to stop- just needed to head in... so I kept a walk/run rhythm for the next hour and finish in 11:22, and 22nd of 36 overall...

I quick changed out of my soaked clothing, drank my magic elixir Ultragen post-run recovery drink,  grabbed a cheese burger while sitting through the awards ceremony, and then headed back to the motel quickly after noticing that my legs had broken out in hives- still not sure from what- but didn't get a chance to thank the RD and Volunteer Coordinator...

The hives drove a midnight trip to the Walgreens... and to the only open drive-thru at McD's for a snack wrap before getting back to sleep and heading back to the Keys in the morning. Driving down Tamiami Trail we stopped to check out the Skunk Ape research center (big foot of the Everglades) and the Clyde Butcher Gallery in Big Cypress....

Headed to the Keys with Rippin' post-race

Got home- and ran 5 miles after the sun went down... Mission Accomplished!

Next Up: Florida Ultra #2  Dances with Dirt Green Swamp 50 Miler on 8 March in Dade City, FL... excited to head to the Tampa area and see me old roomie, other half of E-Squared, and running buddy, Elise!

Back at it again- Bandera 100K (2014)

So I have been absent from the world of blogging- but with the return of my running so comes the blog, renamed and renewed. This past weekend in Texas was also a weekend of renewal- renewal of the ultra-trail race season since recovering from a partial tear in my right calf at the Bear 100 (late September 2013) and eight weeks of recovery (read eight weeks of no running whatsoever).

I was both excited and apprehensive about the weekend- excited to see the Mud Babes, Mark and Bea Miller, old running friends and apprehensive about running 62 miles on about 5 solid-ish weeks of training- not just cross-training. Oh and that training being in the Florida Keys....   

The weekend started out in San Antonio- a late flight in, a bison burger and a beer at the Esquire- and linking up with Sophia, Erica, Emily, Janeé, and Terri. Todd would fly in later that night; but we would see him in the morning.  Of course in true Bandera tradition we did a little trip to the Alamo, and a little shopping to get hats and new belts for what would be a fantastic buckle- there may have been some mooning over the river... but...

We headed out to the Town of Bandera (via Target and Chipotle) and the Silver Spur Guest Ranch where we were bunked up in the Butch Cassidy Room.  We went Horseback Riding- completely awesomely fun... and since we weren't worried about breaking land speed records- this was well worth it thanks to our Cowboy Guides Tom and Robert.

Headed out on "Whiskey" at the back of the pack

Apparently Lucky doesn't make jeans like they used to... A Pants Casualty 

After our one hour tour and a change of pants- we were off to packet pick up and link up with Mark Miller, a cuz' of sorts, fellow West Pointer and Army Officer, we got the Miller headquarters location for the next morning- where there would be warmth and coffee... after introductions and such we found ourselves at the "best" Mexican restaurant in town- it was better than the Oregano laced pasta the year before... and we followed it up with some DQ Blizzards...when in Texas-one must visit the Texas Stop Sign...

Back to the room for outfit assemblage (easy since we would be in all orange), drop bag and nutrition packing... and what I would later find out is a partial charging of both my Garmin and Headlamp. 

Up early the next morning for breakfast and morning rituals. The Silver Spur had a good spread with farm fresh boiled eggs, bagels and fruit... and we were off at 6 am to the start- learning from last year it's better to get good parking- and get there early... Stopped by the Miller's camper to get some much needed caffeine and stretch the legs- plus it was nice to finally meet Bea and chit chat with her.  So we were ready to get after it... all of us...

Babes Ready for Bandera...

And we were off... running steadily up the first climbs- which bring you to the top of Sky Island- beautiful view- and then down a bit to Ice Cream Hill and then down into Nachos, along the way I met some interesting people, a frenchman, and Andreana, a Bulgarian born Austinite, I would bump into her several times along the way- she was fascinating to talk to and a good strong runner. The course was much more runnable- yes I know this is not a word- this year so it was an easy way into Chapas Aid Station, I picked up Mark here and left Sophia and Todd who were making adjustments, and Emily was in front of us. I tend not to spend much time in aid stations- I have a system- coke, oranges, banana, and a sandwich slice or pringles to go, and I was refilling the pack at every other aid station- or I started that once I hit Crossroads... it was nice to run with Mark for a bit but I knew he was in much better shape than I (note the little gut I am sporting)- and he would pull away at CR1.

Mark and I Getting our hike on... Andreana is just behind us...

With my weirdly timed bathroom breaks on the trail, and short time spent at the aid stations I picked back up with Mark and we headed to Last Chance- I lost site of him about one mile in to the windy trail, but I saw a familiar face, Emily, as I was starting the climb up Lucky Peak... We took a quick break and then finished off the climb and made our way into Last Chance- Emily and I slapped Olga with a couple of high fives and we were off to climb Cairn's and Boyle's- Emily would pull away in this last leg- the lack of training and oddly the heat was messing with me- and well the race plan of run a solid 50K and gut check the rest was weighing on my mind a bit... I was rolling down the beautiful dirt road into the Lodge when I ran into Jeremy- he was rocking along quite well after his crazy Marathon the week before- we talked electrolytes, water and heat- and I was amazed he was in a long-sleeve- but I moved on to the lodge with a first loop somewhere right around 6:58 or 7:00- shouted to Mark as I ran by and he was headed out and the Johnson sisters and Bea were there to cool me down a little- and then I would be on my way as Todd and Sophia were headed in....

Getting Johnson Sister Love and Healing

Waving Good-bye; and off for another 31...

I was happy to start the second loop- but apparently my stomach was not... so I quickly started to hike- Sophia and Todd came up behind me on the Sky Hill climb- we snapped a pic (which I can't find) and they were off- Andreana was with a guy named Patrick- they picked me up a little and I started to run more- heading towards Nachos- running through Sotol- Patrick said to me- you are running through Sotol like a honey badger- I said That's Erica- but I didn't really care- I just wanted to keep moving...Hit Nachos- got some ice in my pack and moved on...  Coming into Chapas who do I see- yep Todd and Sophia again... I would bounce back and forth with them until the bitter end.  At this point my stomach was complete toast- but I was pushing nutrition- and ginger hard candy became part of the equation... 

I made it to CR #3 to see Erica, the Johnson Sisters, and Bea, my brain was a little fried- so Erica being there didn't sink in until later- got the race update on everyone, the standard nutrition package,  threw a Breath Thermo top on, and grabbed my iPod- I sensed I could use the motivation in the next legs- and that I might end up being very alone in the dark... Playlist selection was interesting- Walking the Dog- apparently the best playlist ever- or so it seemed at the time... I think I told everyone so... I spent most of the 5 mile loop and Three Sisters climbs with Sophia and Todd... and then they went ahead at CR and headed to Last Chance... 

I power-walked and ran a good portion of the the leg to Last Chance- alone- until the aid station- Todd, Sophia, Pam, and then Buddy and a couple others were there... I got a pancake with maple syrup- and it was worth the wait- because I caught Pam and then caught up to Todd and Sophia-claiming that giving a girl from NY a Pancake with Maple Syrup was the way to victory... I would would lose them again on the climb up Boyle's... but not to worry as I started the descent I was feeling great- I saw headlamps and flashlights in front of me- but wait was that a flicker- yep- and there it went- no headlamp... crap- two options stop and try and swap out the rechargeable for regular batteries in the moonlight- or run in it... so I chose to run by moonlight- it was a little over a mile and a half to go and the illum was pretty solid.  I could see the trail markings and I was quickly catching the guy in front of me- who I passed- he did not appreciate getting passed by a girl with no headlamp- but he did offer up a light- but I was running with confidence in each step. And then Bam the road came up quickly- and I turned and could see the finish- what the clock still says 15: 29 or something... I was trying to figure out what time it was since my watch stopped sometime out of Cross Roads... I flew into the finish with a 25 minute PR from the previous year- 15:30:03 was the official time... and incidentally a Western States qualifying time.

Went to bed after a much needed hot shower, didn't sleep much, climbing up and down the top bunk to use the bathroom several times- hey at least I was hydrated. The next morning we had a final breakfast together at the Silver Spur- and of course photo ops in the main lodge with comfy couches and a fire.

Alive and fed

The BUCKLES...

Sophia, Todd and I headed into San Antonio for a day of relaxation before heading out the next day. Walking around San Antonio and the riverwalk proved to be a little difficult- as in stopping at the top of the stairs, out of breath, in pain and laughing our asses off... sort of looked like this:

At the top of the stairs

but there was BBQ,  a massage, whirlpool time, Margaritas and snacks...  happy all around... happy with the weekend, and the run.  I can honestly say I am excited for this year's adventures and season ahead.

a long time coming...

okay... so it has been a looooong time since my last blog, I think over a year... I am promising to be better about it in the future.  So, to catch up on the last year of madness: returned from Afghanistan (hence the change in the blog title) finished my first 100K at Free State Trail Marathons, paced by Ultraphia-Sophia during the last 21mile loop, four weeks later paced an awesome chick to finish her first marathon (on roads, bleh) at the Tupper Lake Marathon; then was recruited to coach and run on the 10th Mountain Division Army Ten Miler Team-so there was a good portion of the summer spent running fast.  Had two jobs- and now just one- the Battalion Executive Officer-super busy, but my new boss is an avid runner as well, so I get some speedy miles in during the week! October 20th, the day after the Army Ten Miler, I started training for the Bandera 100K.... which will be the first of my year of 2013 blogs- I am sure it will be awesome...

 

20 miles.... Dude... Where did it go....

Well really 21 miles (or 20 miles according to Legend Lou Joline) at Dude.. Where's The Trail... where the race t-shirts are throwbacks and the highlights at the aid stations are orange and purple "drink" and Walmart brand fig newtons and well the whole point is not to get lost and generally speaking the map and directions should get you by but as you go from legs 1, 2, and 6 the directions go from coherent step by step, turn by turn directions to drunken ramblings- of course making it more difficult to navigate through the course- especially if you were running the 50K... all part of the journey though...  my journey was with Sophia, Erica Smackdown Honey Badger Carper and Tommy, and well without them and the humor and the desire to not get lost this day would have sucked... the team made it far more bearable to run 21 miles... three times the amount I have been running recently....

The journey started the night before with an unbelievable BBQ Pork Rib dinner and Birthday Celebration for Tommy... this rib dinner will become way more important later on... there was pink cake for Tommy... which of course generated the comment "Real Men Eat Pink" -Sophia; this would pop into my head several times throughout the run as well.... 

The morning came early- and after getting ready we were off to the QT (Quik Trip for those non-Kansians that may be reading this) Gas Stations tend to be a lot of fun for Sophia and me, especially when we are trying to rack up a $30 bill, although this morning was more about function, poo and bfast....  some of which we got and some of which we did not... then it was off to Lake Jacomo which there is much debate on the pronunciation- but we are going with Jack-Co-Mo in the spirit of the first man made lake in Jackson County Missouri- original right... or not...

A chilly morning- meeting up with the Nerds and other Mudbabes and of course Carper- who was thrilled to be wearing her AWESOME Team Tommy Bandanna- black with stripper dust covered letters... team assembled it was off to check in and get our photos by Dick Ross... mostly in focus- of course we would get a couple more opportunities to see Dick on the course... after checking in we started our running part of the journey which would prove to be WAY MORE FUN than last years lost in the woods approach...

Leg 1- 7.3 Miles- Off on the adventure- a very chilly start but we all warmed up pretty quickly- ahead of us were two young ladies whom we would see several times throughout the day- completely LOST and going the wrong direction- they looked like they were taking it too seriously though- the day was all about fun. So as we moved along the course- we ran into The Warrens (the pork rib makers and hosts from the evening before and the chili extravaganza following the race) after crossing the steel bridge- a little further down the trail as we headed to the animal enclosure we ran into Dick Ross- PHOTO OP time so we had a little fun- and our antics clearly had Dick laughing as a couple photos were pretty blurry- but the end result Carper had the confidence in the fact that I could carry her across a threshold or a puddle or whatever.... and we were off to run around the animal enclosure- this year I forgot to feed the animals an apple or two- oh well... we would finish leg 1 and run into Matty, Brian, Ashley, and some other dude I didn't know... Ashley had peanut M&Ms which complemented the fig newton wannabes and the purple juice well... off to leg two...

Leg 2- 5.6 Miles (total 12.9)- feeling pretty good we headed back into the trail where we were off to the maze, a book, and a mud tat or two... and of course what would be our only mis-direction of the day... so on our way to the maze- my stomach and intestines started to expand... nothing too bad yet...but I could feel the pressure building... so taking option 1 to get off the pavement and back on the trail- we ran a long a pretty cool rock ledge which was reminiscent of Flat Rock... liking the ledge a little too much we over shot the turn north to the maze... luckily we were able to bushwack back to the maze- where we ran into another team which we would see to the end of leg 2... making it through the maze we mud tatted up and I got the Chapter 4 page of the book " The Malaria $Millions" appropriate for the Malaria Meds I take every Monday... so most Mudbabe Mondays are replaced with Malaria Mondays... blah... and we were off to the bike trail and of course another photo op.... and the aid station- at this point the stomach was pretty ridiculous... super painful and bloated... but otherwise feeling pretty good....

Leg 6- 6.8 Miles (21 Miles total- yep I know it doesn't add up)

So by this point my stomach was expanded to max capacity- feeling like a Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon- you could have stabbed me in the stomach and air would have come out... lesson learned pork ribs- not a good pre-long-run meal... we headed towards the Audoban Society- where the bathroom would be clean and help with the pressure built inside... after the stop there- we would be serenaded by Sophia's wonderful singing... a little PBR, Ginger Ale, and Gas-X provided by awesome mud babe Jen Ogden and then out to the pavement to the finish... turning a corner Carper moons a truck as she goes to pop a squat... a truck that we would see as we ran into the finish for some luke warm hot cocoa, amazing peanut butter sandwiches... and warm cars...  and then off to the chili extravaganza!