Oil Creek 50 miler, October 10th 2009

Gnarly, Unforgiving and Historic!!!!

We're back from Oil Creek!!! I'm still a little sore but as the days go by it is getting better. I'm taking a little extra time before putting my running shoes back on. Okay, race synopsis …. It rained for a couple of days before the race and it rained all Friday night. We got up race morning at 3:30 a.m. and headed to the start finish line. The start finish was at a middle school where the accommodations were perfect! We were able to stay in the school right up until just minutes before we were told to go. It was dark and lightly raining for the beginning of the race. At 5:00 Matt began his journey on his 100 mile race! Then it was back in the school to stay warm and dry until 6:00 a.m.!

Time to get this show on the road!!!

The time flew by and before I knew it I was toeing the start line! We had a 3.50 mile run on pavement to get to the trail head. I felt good and tried to hold the pace back. Nobody was very chatty and it was pretty quiet. Once I got to the trail head I was caught up in a large group of people so the climb up was a bit harder than it should have been. I was sucking wind at one point but concentrating on keeping my feet under me and looking for rocks. As soon as I could I stepped aside to let a few people go by. There were also trees down on the course from a wind storm a few days before the race. I was keeping an eye on the trail but, happened to look up just in time for a tree that was at head level for me and ducked down at the last minute! Whew! About 8 miles into my run a guy following me started talking. At first I was enjoying a conversation with somebody!!! But, it didn't take long for him to start annoying me!! Grr.. I came into the first aid station and it was entertaining! They had a Halloween theme with these awesome carved pumpkins lit along the trail. I got in and out of that aid station quickly, knowing that I had a big switchback climb! During this climb the aid station workers had tombstones up! They were fun to read and took my mind off of what I was doing.

Onto the next Aid Station!!!

I was able to finally turn my headlamp off and enjoy the daylight. I knew this section well and cruised along running towards the derricks. Before I knew it I was cruising into the next aid station and the first 50k runner was catching me. As I arrived at the aid station these people really knew what they were doing!!! They grabbed my backpack and refilled it for me, got my drop bag out for me and grabbed things I wanted. I grabbed a couple of things to eat and got out of there fast! I had another big climb ahead.

Over the river!!!

I took off and with food in hand (my turkey sandwich). Once I was climbing I put my headphones on to find out my I-Pod wasn't working!! Grr... I was at a low point and I was only at 14 miles! So I put the I-Pod away and settled in. We had some out and backs to make up mileage that the 50k and 100 milers didn't have. The first out and back was lonely with no one around!! I came into the next section which was a loop. I turned a corner to find a huge uphill climb!! I got through it but, was surprised with a third out and back thrown in that was not discussed (or I didn't hear it). At this point I had hooked up with another runner and we began chatting. We were a great match!!! We worked together and finally ditched the annoying guy!! This next section seemed to take forever. We had a lot of long hill climbs that kicked my butt! There were also many bridges that were also treacherous!! After almost falling on my ass I decided all bridge crossings would be walked over! The mud was slick! I had areas that I wanted to run but the rocks were holding me back. When I came into the school aid station it was mile 35, I was starving and grabbed a hot BBQ beef sandwich, chips and Mt. Dew. I spent a little longer in the aid station than I should have (Maybe 5 mins), but then, set out to finish the last 15 miles.

Getting there

The last section was tough and the climbs seemed endless! We had a 1.5 mile run back to the trail head on the bike path. Upon getting to the trail head another guy that had been running near me all day was walking back towards me. I thought something was wrong. He informed me that he thought he was on the wrong trail and was coming back. I told him I knew where I was going and he could follow along. The first 7.5 miles seemed to go by quickly and before I knew it I was back at the Halloween aid station. I had a grilled cheese sandwich there and my plan was to cruise through the next aid station, since all I had to do was cross the river to get to it.

Homeward Bound!!!!!

As I crossed the river I could see my friends were there waiting for me. They were going to pace me for the last 7.5 miles but, noticed I looked good and seemed happy. I asked as I came in what time Brian had been through there since I was looking forward to passing him on the homeward bound leg!!! They told me he had already been through and should be finishing at any minute. You don’t want to know what my choice words were, not once but several times!!!! I was actually happy for him, knowing that he was accomplishing a big goal! But, I was also disappointed knowing that I wouldn’t see him until I finished. I started the homeward bound section with another huge hill climb past a cemetery. It was an effort to climb these big hills and my hamstrings were letting me know it! Just before getting off the trail I had a long downhill, which was fun! Getting off the trail I knew the last 1.5 mile homestretch was in sight and I was anxious to get to the finish. The bike path seemed like it took forever but, soon I was rounding the corner and heading toward that finish line! As I got closer I could see Brian and he was yelling for me to move my butt a little faster! The pedal was all the way down and I was giving it all the gas I had, which was nothing. I crossed the finish and gave Brian a big huge hug!!!! After standing for a few minutes Brian went over and got my finishers buckle for me since the race director was not at the finish. We went inside the school where I was able to get warm and get something to eat. As I was eating about 20 minutes later the guy that was struggling crossed the finish line. I was happy to see he made it!

Let the post race celebration begin!!!

I will say, Brian is not letting me forget that he beat me to the finish line! It’s all in good fun! We both will be running again in Texas!

Onward and upward!!!!

Well, it's time to start looking forward to the next adventure!!I have a very busy couple of months coming up. I will be trying to balance family, work and getting my training in.

August is full of long training runs. The longest being a 7 hour trail run!! But, I also have weekends where I'm on the trails both Saturday and Sunday for 3 hours each day!!! Whew! By Sunday night I'll be stretched out on the couch resting my legs.

September is when things start getting fired up! Football season is here and we have to squeeze home games in with everything else. September 12th I have Dances with Dirt 50k in Hell. I look forward to this run and my mom will be there! She looks forward to this every year, it's the closest race that she can make it to. September 17-22 we will be camping near Oil Creek State Park in PA. I am really looking forward to this since we haven't been able to camp all summer. We are going here to check out the race course for October when I will be doing my last 50 mile race of the year. We return in time for me to pace my friend Paul running a 100 miler.

October rounds out with the Oil Creek 50 miler, I'm hoping to run strong and smash 10:30! I have been training hard for this and hoping it all pays off. Lastly, October 22 is a big day for our daughter Cara! My baby will turn 16, where has the time gone?

MOHICAN 100 WHAT AN ADVENTURE ALL THE WAY TO THE END!!!

Well, the weekend is here and gone. I have to start from the beginning so that you can get a feel for everything that happened leading up to and after the race. The action was non-stop and I'm sure down the road I will laugh about all of this but, not right now.

GETTING THERE WAS ONLY HALF THE FUN!

Friday morning arrived and I was ready to go! Everything was packed in the motor home and all we had to do was jump in. Cara will tell you it all started when we went out for doughnuts and I saw a penny on the ground. Of course it was heads up and I picked it up! Knowing that good luck will be had. The plan was to pick up Matt and Jimmy and Matt' s boys they would ride down with us and Julie would arrive down there later. Everyone was picked up and we were on our way, I was excited! Lunch plans were made to stop in Dundee and get Applebee's. We made it to Findley before Brian had asked me to find a rest area. I looked on the map, no rest areas for a long way! I asked why and Brian said a light was on and he needed to figure out what was going on. We ended up stopping on an exit ramp. Diagnositics were being done and nothing was found. When the RV was put into drive it no longer moved forward. Time for a pow wow to discuss the next move. While we were discussing this a state trooper knocked on the door to tell us we could not have lunch here. After explaining what was going on he gave us a number for the post and they found a tow truck for us.

While waiting for a tow truck the decision was made that Matt, Jimmy, Matt's boys and I would continue to Mohican in my car that was being towed by the motorhome. We grabbed everything we thought we would absolutely have to have for the race! My car was packed to capacity.

We jumped in, I kissed Brian goodbye and away we went with Matt behind the wheel. After about an hour and a half Matt says nothing looks familiar to him. This led to the discovery that we were officially lost! We got out to get directions only to find we are somewhere near Columbus! Way south of where we need to be. We did finally make it to the race to pick up our numbers and drop off our drop bags. Craig was there waiting for my arrival. We ate the pasta dinner and left to find a room for the night. Julie had made reservations at the Mohican Lodge. We arrived there only to find it was $230.00 a night! Yikes and it was way out of the way from the race. After a short discussion I found a Chuckwagon that would sleep 16 people for a more reasonable price. We did have a laugh about staying in a chuckwagon! The accomodations were fine and we may even consider it for future Mohicans! We finally climbed into bed by 11:00p.m. knowing that we had to be up by 3:30 a.m.

RACE DAY!

Race day came with warm temps and lots of humidity! The air was so humid you could see the wetness in the air. Julie drove us to the start line and saw us off! Once we began the journey it was an easy jog thru the campground and up to the road to begin the first of many climbs. THe morning was easy and the first 10 miles were spent chatting and getting used to the heat and humidity! Within the first 10 miles I was soaked from sweating! We arrived at Rock Point and would begin the journey on the trails!! Yes! People were starting to spread out now but, it was still crowded. The red trail was greasy, wet, muddy and there was no avoiding it! It was amazing that I was able to keep upright! The next check point was called South Park, I still pretty much sailed thru here just grabbing water and a PBJ sandwich and I was back on the trail.

The morning was pretty much uneventful. I kept trying to hold back the pace and remembering all the advice that was given to me from friends. When I arrived at Fire Tower Craigs wife Pam was there and I was able to exchange out hydration packs with her. I had a 2 mile downhill run to get to the Covered Bridge, this went by rather quickly and before I knew it I was there and headed for the purple loop! This is my favorite part of the whole race. Alot of people got lost on this trail and had trouble navigating their way around because the rains had washed away the lime markings on the trail. I had no problems and made it thru.

Arriving back at Covered bridge and grabbing more water since I was craving ice cold water. I saw that Brian was up and was there!! I told Craig that Brian was there and he went over to introduce himself to him only to see he was talking to the wrong person! I said NO, he's over here!! That gave me a big laugh!!! Brian asked how things were going and I said good. He saw me off and I knew he'd be waiting at the Grist Mill for me. This is where I really started having fun! NOT! My stomach was starting to act up and I felt as if I was going to be sick.

On my way to Grist Mill I ran out of GU and Gatorade about a mile to 1 1/2 miles out. All I wanted was a drink of water! I heard of others running into the same problem. I got to Grist Mill and sat at a picnic table trying to get a glass of water down but, my stomach was not happy! As I sat there someone came up to me asking if I would like a ice cold bottle of Ensure. I have never tried this but he was pretty convincing saying it was loaded with calories and good for me. Okay, I took one swig and was headed for the grass. My stomach had had enough! I was throwing up and my abs cramped. I got done and knew I had enough time to let things calm down. I sat at this check point for about a 1/2 hour and yes, I did get the ensure down. Craig had waited for me and I said it was time to get moving. He was right there with me! But, I think I only made it a mile before I told him to go on without me and I took care of business. This is where I did the rest of the race alone.

I was on the yellow trail headed back to covered bridge and the river crossing. I power hiked a good portion of this section. Once I arrived at the river crossing I knew the cool water would feel good! This river is hard to negotiate with big rocks on the bottom. Yep, I went down and got totally soaked! I will say it felt really good!

Lots of lonely miles ahead!!!

I grabbed some food and was quickly headed to the red trail! I know this is a tough section and it's a 2 mile climb all uphill to the next check point. As I power hiked along I chatted with a young guy, he was asking me if there were bears here. I could have played this up soooo good but I didn't want to scare him and told him he has nothing to worry about. No bears! After what seemed like forever climbing the hill I notice a 10 time Mohican finisher behind me. I asked him how much further we had to go. You would think he would know by heart but his reply was let me get my map out! I laughed at this response. We chatted briefly but, I was out power hiking him and continued on my way. I was hitting another low and saw I was still climbing! I really wanted my dog with me or at least my I-pod, I had neither. I looked up and saw Brian at the top of the hill! Yeah! He was glad he didn't have to go any further also! I said how much further to the next check point. Brian's reply was about 20 mins. Okay, let's go! I was walking pretty fast and have gotten efficient at this. His comment after a few minutes was holy cow, you can walk fast! Yes, I can! We talked and walked it in.

He got my pack ready while I changed clothes and shoes. I also got the biggest turkey sandwich here. I got back on the trail headed for Rock Point and the halfway mark of the race! Woo Hoo! Before getting there I had three river crossings. This was also the area last year I got caught in the storm! No storm this year just lots of heat. I went by the cemetery and looked down on the ground to see a huge snake! Good thing it was dead because I would have freaked! I felt good again and was able to run a bit of the trail. I guess more than I thought because I came into Rock Point right behind Brian! He was surprised to see me come in so early and looking good! I sat down to make some more adjustments and I had some potato soup (probably the best on the course!) and I was off to Fire Tower and meet my pacer.

I was feeling okay and came into the check point before Fire Tower happy! I yelled my number so they could check me off and the guy says I didn't ask for your weight, I need your number! I could have kissed him! I smiled and they said I looked good. I said at least I didn't come in crying like I did last year! I grabbed some things and got out of there headed for my pacer, Julie!! I was ready for some company and someone I could talk to.

Now, the work begins and it's getting harder!

I made it to Fire Tower in plenty of time before dark and was able to grab my headlamp. I sat in a chair just relaxing for a minute. I was asked what I wanted and I wasn't sure. Julie asked if I wanted pizza and I said sure there it was a slice of pizza, it wasn't really hitting the spot and so Brian asked if I wanted a cheeseburger. I tried that and got more of that eaten. I just wanted to sit!!! I didn't seem like long before Julie was pressing on me to get moving. We got up and walked out of the check point. She asked how things were going and I was close to tears! but, the walking helped and before I knew it I was back to myself and we were chatting it up! We made it to the covered bridge and I knew one more time thru here and I would be on my way to the finish! It was so dark!!! We had a long hill to climb again and once we reached the top I got a second wind and was able to run again. Almost all the way to the next check point!

On our way we did something special that we do every time Julie and I run Mohican together. We stop for a minute and turn all the lights off and look at the stars!! It's just so awesome! And it's almost an expected thing to do now. We arrive at the check point and I grab another sandwich and watermelon. Julie spots a new bag of peanut butter M & M's and opens them! I think if she could she would have taken the entire bag! Now we are headed for Grist Mill the place I dropped last year. My feet are sore and blistered and I'm hitting another low again but, I'm still moving forward.

Now it's tough!!!

We make it to grist mill and I sit down once again! Only this time I have my head in my hands really having to think about getting up to continue one again! Brian gets me some Potato soup to eat, it's okay just not as good as Rock Points was. My feet really hurt and even the slightest touch hurts. Brian decides maybe to help get me going again he duct tapes my feet for protection. Brian knows, Julie knows and even though I'm not thinking clearly I know I cannot drop here, I have to keep moving! Julie grabs my arm and says come on, we're going for a walk. She promises me that if I can't make the first mile then I can drop but I NEED to get out of that aid station! We start walking and Brian is very concerned and tells Julie he is going to drive to the mountain biking parking area. She says okay and we are on our way! It's painful at first but once I get my feet moving I can keep them going. Somehow we get on the subject of childbirth. I am preoccupied and not even thinking about what I'm doing. Thanks Julie! Brian is waiting for us and asks Julie how I'm doing, Julie says she's fine meet us at the covered bridge.

He takes off and we get on the scary yellow trail. This is the same trail that Julie freaked out on when she ran he 100 miler he a couple of years ago. We both were looking for rodents, snakes and trying not to fall into the river. None of that happened!!!Once we got off the technical part of the yellow trail we had to go thru a campground and a parking lot. I was hurting but, made mention that I wasn't wasn't sleepy tired at all! Once we made it to the parking lot and I saw Brian's truck I pretty much threw in the towel. Had the truck not been there I would have felt pressured to keep going since I was stuck! I went to the aid station captain and told him I was dropping. He told me to wait before I tore my tag off. He asked once again, are you sure you want to drop? I said yes, and tore my tag off, handed it to him and we climbed into the truck at around 4:00 a.m.


After picking Matt up at the finish line we all headed for the chuck wagon to get some sleep.



We all fell asleep just as the sun was coming up. I didn't sleep very well, my legs and feet were very tender. I did get a couple hours of sleep before we all were up and packing the cars for the long ride home. Once everything was packed we headed to the finish line, Matt got his finishers buckle and I had my feet tended to by the podiatrists.

HEADED HOME!!

The ride home was somewhat uneventful. Brian drove his truck while Cara drove my car. I was sleeping off and on the whole way home. I did wake up a couple of times to eat but, was fast asleep soon after. We arrived home, tired and worn out. So relaxation was on the schedule for the rest of the day. That is until Cara went to the basement for something. We heard her say "Dad, there's water in the basement". You don't want to know what Brian muttered!!! We are hoping that this is the end of our bad luck. I woke up on Monday only to find every muscle in my body had froze up and my feet tender. By Wednesday I was feeling better and by Thursday I had a pair of running shoes on and was back out and walking!! And thinking about the next adventure in store for me!!!

IT'S RACE WEEK!!!!!

Well.... Here it is, race week! I am down to the final stretch. On Saturday while most of you are still all snuggled down in your beds I will be be up and toeing the start line with Craig to begin our incredible adventure!

My feelings right now are excitement and anticipation but, I also feel prepared, confident and relaxed.

Saturday's final last long 2 hour run was spent reflecting on what I have learned over the past year with the support of friends, family and co-workers. I'm so lucky to have Brian fully supporting my habit! He is ALWAYS at the checkpoints ready to get me whatever I need. YES, I am spoiled and I know it! Matt was the one who told me I needed to give ultras a try. After Pacing him at Mohican 4 years ago, I haven't left the trails. My mom is very supportive and loves to hear the stories after I get back, even if she hears them 10 times she loves listening. Andrew and Cara act as if mom's just at another race but, they always ask how the run went and call while I'm out there racing to check on my progress. I know deep down they do care!Dave and Paul have taught me so many invaluable lessons that I will use at Mohican. My co-workers have put up with me during taper time and tiring weeks of heavy training. But I also, have my coach, Paul DeWitt to thank! I began training under him at the very end of March. He took me on with events that I already had stacked up. His reply was I will have you ready. Because of him keeping tabs on my training and tweaking runs weekly I am ready. He has made me feel confident and relaxed!I can't wait to continue training under him! I know he has just scratched the surface on my abilities! Then there is Craig, an awesome friend that started out offering to pace me and now will be with me the entire way. I will be thinking of everyone on Saturday.
All I have left is some last minute packing and deciding what clothes I will be wearing. The weather looks good. At least we won't have to worry about SNOW!

Craig and I are going to have the time of our life! I can't wait to tell the story.... Stay tuned!

2 weeks to go!!! Let the countdown begin

Finally!!!
Anticipation is building!!!

All the training is in and done. In two weeks my friend Craig and I will be running the Mohican 100 together! Craig was originally going to pace me for the last 40 miles but, instead he will be running by my side for the entire 100 miles. Our paths crossed about 5 years ago through a running forum board. We spoke via email never meeting face to face. Many times we were at the same races but, were unable to connect. Finally, in May we decided to do some training runs together and make sure this was going to work. We met at the Pinckney Rec Area. It was an instant friendship!! We chatted non-stop during the run. We were talking so much that I missed a turn on the trail. I know this trail so well I could run it with my eyes closed! After that first initial run we knew running Mohican together would be a good fit.

This Saturday we have our final long run together, a 6 hour training run. We are using this to tweak a few things and get our 100 mile pace down. It's going to feel like a crawl compared to what we are used to doing.

The days left leading up to the race will be spent getting all of my gear together and making sure I have everything. My family and staff at work will have to put up with taper madness. They have been down this road before with me so I would hope they know how to deal with it!

This is going to be an excellent adventure!!

Thanks Craig!!!

Ice Age Trail 50 Miler

May 9, 2009




As I sit here with ice on my right leg I’m trying to recall all the events that happened over the weekend. We left home with more items than we needed to take with us. Our drive was pretty much uneventful until we got to almost Wisconsin where I had a melt down. I jumped up took my seat belt off and started rummaging through my bag. Brian asked what I was doing. I was looking for my running clothes. Whew! I thought I forgot them, there they were along with my shoes. We arrived at the motel, Gary and Dave were already there. Gary was at packet pickup and Dave was swimming. Matt was about an hour behind us. Gary called asking if we wanted him to pick up Matt, Jimmy and my packets. Cool, one less thing to do. We all met for dinner at 5:30, after dinner we took Matt and Jimmy to show them where the start line was. Brian also drove them around to show them certain points along the course. We returned to the room where I laid everything out and then it was lights out.

Race morning we were up and about by 4:30! We woke up to hearing the wind just howling! It was cold and raining too. I thought, great another wonderful weather race! I had my usual breakfast of oatmeal, a half of bagel and Gatorade. I like milk in my oatmeal and noticed I forgot to pack it so I had to use coffee creamer (okay it got me by, carmel,chocolate). As we drove to the start line I could see flags standing straight out. Luckily I knew for a majority of the race we would be somewhat protected from the wind by the woods. We sat in the car right up until race time, just to stay warm. Unfortunately none of us packed cold weather stuff! 5 minutes before the race started we walked out to the start line. As I waited with everyone else to start we stood in the pouring down rain, the national anthem was sang while we all stood there and shivered! Soon after the gun went off and we were on our way!!! Finally!!!

The first part was a 9 mile loop on a Nordic ski trail. This is a fast and somewhat flat loop. It’s a nice warmup but, you really have to hold yourself back to not take off! As I started I hit my watch to start the time and I also had a timer starter to remind myself to take a Gu pack every 30 mins. I feel good and just trying to get myself in a groove, I know I have a long day ahead! After a few miles I look down to see how much more time I have until I need to begin eating my Gu and notice that my watch is blank! Great, my watch decided to take a crap at the beginning of this race. It’s cold, it’s raining, my watch has died and I’m wondering how my day is going to end up! This 9 mile loop comes back to the start line where there is an aid station. Brian is there waiting for me to come in. I come in a little faster than I wanted but I took it easy and felt okay. I handed him my watch and told him to give me my Garmin at the next aid station he will be at (13.1 miles). We exchange camelbaks and I also alert him that I want my Gatorade mixture to be watered down because full strength is just too sweet. I also tell him I’m going to wing it on my gu’s until I get there. I grab a pbj and I’m excited!! They must have known I like strawberry jelly! Bonus! I thank them and I’m out of the aid station. Headed towards the first out and back trail.

I am off to Rice Lake! I’m still running a bit faster than I wanted but feel fine. I’m making small talk with people but, also concentrating on what I need to do to get thru the day. Finally on the real trail and I’m moving along pretty much alone. Suddenly I come to an intersection and I’m not sure which way to go. I look for markers and see none. So I pick which way looks right and I see other runners up ahead. Okay I’m good, but suddenly I’m told to stop. Myself and about 10 others are off the trail. I’m getting frustrated and turn back. I make a comment about wasting a good 5 mins. Another guy near me says it’s a couple of minutes it’s no big deal but it is to me. I don’t say anything more only because I’m frustrated with myself! We finally catch up with everyone else on the trail. I look up and see my friend Dave! I tell him and he says what did you take the scenic route? I guess so. We run together for a few short minutes and talk briefly. We make it to the next aid station together. Brian hands me my Garmin and a new camelbak. I grab a pbj and continue down the trail. Dave tells Brian about how I took a detour before he leaves the aid station. I’m still running well and feeling strong. I’m sticking to the gu plan and also drinking as I go along! I make it out to Rice Lake grab food and head back to Confusion Corner. This is cool because you get to see people that are ahead of you and you are able to check on your friends! As I come into the 26.2 aid station Brian is waiting for me once again. This is awesome I just do my exchanges with him, which saves me time in the aid stations. I can just grab pbj and fly out of there. Brian tells me that my friend Jimmy is only 2 mins in front of me. Okay, my radar is up and I’m on the hunt!!! As I go down the trail I come into an open meadow like area. There are 2 others running near me. The guy sprints ahead with his arms in the air and he’s screaming like crazy! I look up and he’s chasing a family of geese! Goslings are running between his legs and the dad is not too happy! As the other girl and I run by the geese are hissing like crazy but they are on the side of the trail. Ahh.. back into the woods! I see Jimmy is right up ahead. I continue running quietly and catch him. As I get next to him I elbow him and ask how he’s doing. He says his legs hurt but he’s okay. I ask if he needs anything and he says no. I say okay and continue running ahead.

Back at confusion corner! Now the real work begins!!!

I remember this next out and back last year as long and painful!!! I’m still feeling good and Brian is amazed at my progress. I have a lot of ups and downs coming up. As I get about halfway thru this part I see Matt again and he is on his way to the finish. I tell him he’s doing great and he tells me I’m doing awesome! That was a mental booster! But, I’m starting to get a pain on the front of my shin. I am starting to hear dogs which means I’m close to getting to horsemen’s park. I wind down there and there’s Brian! We switch out camelbaks and I’m on my way. I have a 4 mile out and back . I did slow down through this section. My shin was really bothering me. For some reason this small section seems really long! But, I make it to the aid station with someone attempting to say my name and where I’m from. I smile at her when she just says my first name. I grab pbj take my camelback off because I wanted to take some Ibuprophin to see if that would help my shin out. I also grab some salt tabs since I had some light headedness. I throw the camelback on and set out to get back to the horsemen’s park with a pbj in hand. As I head back into the woods a guy that I had talked to earlier in the day is still on his way out. We pass each other and he punches me in the shoulder saying go get ‘em kid you look awesome! I smile and within a few mins I begin to feel much better and I’m able to pick up the pace. I also see Dave, he tells me I look awesome! I yell back to him to keep going. I see another Michigan runner who gives me more positive words but he calls me blonde. I’m smiling at his words! Soon after I hear dogs barking again, knowing that this means horsemen’s park is close. Brian greets me just before I come off the trail. Now, he’s starting to add some pressure to me. He says I have slowed down and I need to pick up the pace if I want to break 11 hours. This is lighting a fire under me! As I head for the next trail I hear a donkey braying loudly! I look up and see him! I laugh! Brian leaves me at the beginning of the trail to head for confusion corner! I decide that I’m going to show this section a thing or two. I’m running along and I can hear Brian drive off down the road. Bye Honey, see you at the next check point! I attack this section and I’m running it well. I just put the shin pain out of my head. My focus is getting to the finish. I make it to Bald’s Bluff wanting to yell out loud! But, I don’t waste time and run down the hill knowing Brian is waiting at the check point. As I come off the trail he tells me I’m running like I did earlier in the day!

Onto the finish!!

I high tail it out of there because the finish is only 2.2 miles away!!! I tell Brian “I’ll see you at the finish line!” One more aid station! I make it there and sail through without even stopping, knowing the finish isn’t far. As I get to the last ½ mile I can hear voices behind me. I keep picking up the pace. I see someone walking towards me down the trail and he says I look great. I smile and say thanks! But, I keep hearing these voices behind me. I am all alone and I don’t want anyone stealing my thunder at the finish so I’m giving it all I got. I keep looking for that finish line! FINALLY!!!! I turn the corner and Matt is sitting there along with Brian. Then I look at the clock and see my time 10:47!!! I put my fist in the air and yell YES! I cross the finish line. I finally did it, I broke 11 hours! I’m handed my belt buckle and a guy starts to take my chip off my shoe. As I sit down I wonder where the people are that were behind me. Brian and the guy wonder what I’m talking about. Those voices I heard were 5 mins behind me.

We head to the truck to get me some warm clothes and then I head right over to the beer tent. I never ever drink beer but I really wanted one. We also go in to get our food, they always have a really good BBQ after the race. We sit down and Matt comes over to congratulate me. I give him a big hug and he tells me I ran awesome. While Brian is chowing on his food I’m just sitting there staring at mine. I just have no desire to eat. But, the beer was awesome! We watched Dave come in about 30 mins behind me and then Jimmy came in an hour after I finished just making the cutoff. It was a great day! Of course I was beaming from ear to ear the rest of the day.

Okay, two down, one to go!

The Big one I have been waiting for MOHICAN 100!!!!

Forget the PR Mohican 50k

Sunday April 19, 2008

I waited all winter to toe the line once again. I registered for this race to remind me what I have to look forward to in June. Mission accomplished!
We arrived in Loudonville early Saturday evening. Just in time for packet pick up. We arrived at packet pickup and received my race number. I had forgotten to sign the wavier along with everyone else that was there. The race director seemed a little uptight and frustrated that he didn’t have blank copies on hand. No problem I was told to come back in the morning when I checked in and take care of it. We left there to do some exploring since every time we had been down there we never had time. After a while it began to get dark so we checked into our room and then headed for dinner. We had a very nice meal and I did something I don’t normally do. I ordered Prime rib, baked potato and a house salad. My comment was well we’ll see how this affects me on race day! Afterwards I also ordered carrot cake! Mmmm.. We got back to the room so I could figure out what I was wearing for the race. The weather was predicting windy, rainy and a high if 50*. Then it was time to get some sleep! I didn’t sleep well, a lot was on my mind all night. I was up and showering before the alarm went off. I ate my typical breakfast of oatmeal, a poptart and Gatorade. Time to leave for the start line.
We arrived and as usual the air was a buzz!! The weather was not bad and it was dry! It was 53* when we started. The rain was predicted to move in during the early afternoon. I checked in, signed my waiver and made one last call to the porta john. I made my way to the start line for the prerace briefing. Minutes later we were off!!! We had to do a ¼ mile on the roadway to help thin out the group. It still was fairly packed when we hit the trail.

Orange trail, the first of many climbs!!!
As soon as we hit the trail it was up, up, up and yep up!!!! People were antsy! I was trying to hold back but, got a little sucked up in the excitement. After the first 2 miles I was able to settle into a pace that felt comfortable. I was talking to people as I went along and one guy was sticking fairly close to me. We made it to the first aid station which was themed the wizard of oz. I began my regimn of eating! I grabbed two ¼ pbj’s, chips I left the aid station munching while I was walking. Eww… as I began eating the pbj I noticed that it had grape jelly (I hate grape jelly)! I had to get beyond that and just eat it! I did! This trail is backwards to what I have run it in the past. So it felt a little different. A ½ hour after I left the aid station I took a gu just to keep calories up. I was also sipping on my camelback along the way. I felt good and headed towards the covered bridge aid station. Still with the guy in tow. As I made my way down and came into the aid station there was Brian with an exchange camelback in hand to trade me! Woo hoo! I hit the food table once again for the same fair. I focused on intaking calories and keeping hydrated the entire way. 11.2 miles completed, Off to start the first half of the purple loop!!!

Purple Loop, hand over hand climbing and running through water!!!!!
This is a fun loop! I loved doing this one and get excited when I start it! This is a fairly technical section of the trail. I began running but there are parts that are just not runnable because of the technicality. Since it is spring the rivers and streams are fairly high. I make my way to the first stream , getting my shoes totally soaked! It felt so good on my feet since the water was icy cold! This was the first of many stream crossings. I get to the hand over hand climb giggling and yelling woo hoo! Telling others around me this is the best part!!! After I get through that it’s off to the Dam. The guy I had with me in the beginning is still hanging with me. I make it to the dam and begin a lonnnnngg climb up the road! I feel confident because I know my way around here well and I know what’s coming up. As I am walking up the hill from the dam I am tortured with gnats and bugs. Then a course marshal at the turn sees me swatting at the bugs and asks if I would like some bug spray. I say yes! He sprays the back of my neck for me . I thank him as I begin the blue loop. This will turn out to be an adventure and I can’t believe how much laughing I do here!! I said I had fun!

Blue Loop- Mud, mud and more mud!!!!!!
This was an interesting loop and I have never run this loop. We were headed to the resort for the next aid station. I start off strong and shortly into this loop I see the first returning lead runner. Halfway out to the resort I encountered MUD! Not just a little mud, it was up to my ankle and there was no way to avoid it. I think I had about 1 ½ miles of shoe sucking mud! People were slipping and sliding everywhere. I was able to just plow through it!! Laughing as I was going! When I got closer to the resort the mud stopped but I think my shoes weighed about 20 lbs apiece!! I had a series of stair climbs. I made it to the aid station!! Woo Hoo!! 16.1 miles completed so far. The aid station captain asked how things were going. I answered that I can’t believe none of these men would remove their shirts to put down in the mud for me so I didn’t have to get my shoes muddy! One of the guys answers “Hey, all manners are out the window and it’s every man/woman for themselves!” The aid station captain says he would have done it for me! Ha! I leave the aid station with about 4 guys in tow. Talking along the way. Oh yeah! Back in the mud!!! It really makes things interesting because you have two way traffic on this loop. More laughter. As I finish up the blue loop I see the guy who is making sure people are getting on the right trail when leaving the blue loop. I yell” hey bug man!” he yells “you’re back!” I thank him again for the spray. I’ve left all but one guy behind me. I head to finish up the purple loop.

Purple loop- Big falls, sick people & scary drop offs!!!
I have 2 miles left to go before I make it to the next aid station. I looked forward to getting back on the purple loop. I knew what was ahead. More adventure! I made it the Big Lyons waterfalls!!! This was another really technical section!! I climbed another hill and was greeted to a steep, straight down descent. You have to be careful when going down and only one person can do this at a time. I was right on another guys heels. Once I made it down, I had to go under the waterfall. It was flowing pretty good. I rounded the corner to see the guy I was behind standing next to a girl sitting down , she had a bloody knee. I asked if she was okay. She said she's light headed and having stomach issues. We both noticed she had no water or food on her. He gave her some water to drink and I handed her a gu. He also gave her some trail mix to eat. I left her and so did the guy but as we came into the aid station we warned them she was out there. Brian was there waiting for me and we exchanged out backpacks again. More food in hand and I was back out on the trail. Still feeling great, smiling and joking with the course marshal. 20.2 miles completed so far. Green trail here I come!!!!

Green trail- it’s all uphill!!
This was a tough section! I knew this was a short section but, it was going to take some time. It was all uphill the entire way. So for the first time I got out the i-pod and started getting into my music. It kept my mind off of what I was doing since I was by myself for this section. The only bad thing on this section was the markers were green and they blended into the green grass on the ground. I saw the juvenile correction facility through the woods and knew I was almost there, this did make me walk a little faster!!! Yeah, I made it to the fire tower!!!! More food and 22.7 miles completed so far!! I don’t waste anytime and get out of the aid station with more food in hand.

Red trail- more ups and downs!!!
I cruised along walking the ups and cruising the downs. All the mud and water was starting to take a toll on my left foot. But, it wasn’t horrible I just knew it was there. I was catching people and passing them, I was on a mission! The last ¾ of a mile were a severe downhill. Brian was out on the trail and saw me coming through the upper switchbacks. He yelled and I acknowledged him by waving and not taking my eyes off the trail. I made it to the aid station feeling good, my quads are starting to get sore but overall I’m so happy. The course marshal saw me and made a comment. I grabbed food, told Brian I was going to keep my camelback for the last bit. He said he couldn’t believe how awesome I looked and sounded! That got me going. I left the aid station with more food in hand and Brian walking next to me for a few minutes! 27 miles completed and heading for home!!!!!

Yellow trail- technical and why not one more huge hill!!!
I was happy to know things went smoothly for the day. This section was along the river so it was rocky and rooty. You really had to watch where you put your feet, if not you could end up in the river! I was still passing people along the way. I ended up going back and forth with 3 others for the last 2 miles of this section. One of the guys was struggling and his friends were coaching him to keep going. I was with him encouraging him along the way too.

I made it to the finish and I was happy!!! I was greeted by the race director congratulating me and asking if I had fun. The answer ABSOLUTELY!!!! Finish time 6:53, just barely missing my PR.
This was a great day and I had fun. It’s NOT an easy course by any means. As I sit here I’m really sore!!!Now it’s time to focus on Ice Age 50 miler!!