26 days. That is how long I have until I toe the line at my next 100 mile race, Pinhoti. 26 days to figure out what clothes and shoes I am going to wear, what I will eat, what other essentials I will pack...
26 days seems like a lifetime when it is something you have been looking forward to for 8 months now. If I were a spreadsheet person, I could tell you how many miles I have run in preparation, but I'm not, so let's just say it is a fair amount. Miles that included an unfathomable number of parking towers and speed intervals. Miles that included buckets of sweat (remind me not to train for an early winter race again while living in south Louisiana - what was I thinking?). Miles that included quality time with some of my absolute favorite human beings because running a 40 mile training run together is the best way to discover someone's true character. And, I am happy to say that my suspicions were confirmed - I have the most incredible friends.
These knuckleheads are pacing me. Don't leave your phone with them or you will get back to this.
And this one is crewing for me. I am in good hands, and there will definitely be beer.
So here I am entering my peak week of training, facing 75 miles or so of running in record heat for this time of year. Seriously, all I can do is laugh about it. I will wrap up this week with a 50 mile run on top of the levee on Saturday with a group of like-minded fools who actually get together and do this stuff for fun, then I get to taper. I say that like it is a blessing, but I actually dislike the taper because that is when all of the self doubt and phantom pains set in, and miraculously disappear when you get to the race site.
What a tremendous blessing it has been, this training season. Saturday will be my 5th ultra distance training run (any distance over a marathon - 26.2 miles), and in a strange way, while I am tired and ready to race, I am not in a rush for the training to end. I decided early on in this training to embrace the journey, and I have. I have actually enjoyed it, leg cramps and dry heaves included.
So 26 days from now I get to run a point to point 100 mile run on the trails in Talladega National Forest. We will start at 7 am, and I will finish when I have covered 100 miles, whenever that is. I am truly happy about getting to experience the 100 mile journey again. I have completed the distance 4 times in the past, and every time I have learned more about myself and how I deal with adversity. I can't wait to see what this race teaches me. My 100 mile experiences have helped to form me in my personal and professional life more than anything else. I remember telling a friend once when he was training for his first 100 miler, when asked about the distance, "It will scrape you to your core. You'd better like what you find there." I am curious to see what I will find there this time.
Sometimes you may be running alongside greatness and not even know it. I know many in our group will feel that way after reading Charles Thompson's story. We already knew he was a tough guy with a big heart, but now we get to understand just how tough he really is. Check out Charles' story below. WARNING: Your excuses will seem pretty weak after this.
The display read 35
pounds. I had just put my bags on the scale at the heliport to go offshore
again. As the woman behind the counter registered this, I filled out the
sign-in log verifying that I had the certifications necessary to go out. Next
was the part that I had come to loathe. It was my turn to step on the scale.
Over the past months I had lost about five pounds, but had since lost my
resolve. I stepped on the scale, making sure that the disappointment didn't
register on my face. Still, I could not turn my gaze away from the scale's
readout. 267 pounds. Five feet eleven inches tall and 267 pounds. "If I
don't do something about this, my health will start to be affected," I
thought.
Up until that point, I
really did not have any severely negative consequences due to my being
overweight (obese if I am honest about what the height/weight charts read). My
past trips to the doctor told me I needed to lose weight (I paid this man to
tell me this?) and that I should keep an eye on my blood pressure as it was a
little on the high side. The fact that I had not been to the doctor in about
four years crossed my mind. "I've been fine; I AM fine," I had been
telling myself. Never mind what I saw in the mirror. Never mind what I saw in
the pictures of myself (I sure hoped the camera added about thirty pounds).
"I'm overweight, but still healthy."
Then my penny pinching
side kicked in. My employer has a program designed to encourage you to live
healthier. Each year you fill out a questionnaire about your eating habits and
how much exercise you get. Tack in what your last blood pressure readings and
what your cholesterol was at your last check and you can get a discount of $180
off the annual premium for your health insurance. Well, I had everything filled
out except the last cholesterol readings. This was sufficient to get the
discount, but my curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to fill EVERYTHING
in (a little peek into my personality here). This prompted a decision, I now
had to go back to the doctor. It won't be that bad, right? Appointment made,
they wanted me to go into the office the week before to get my blood drawn.
This way, I was told, the doctor can review my results with me right in the
room in case I had any questions.
I was ready for
anything the doctor had to tell me. It was going to be just like all of my
other appointments. "Charles," he was going to say, "you need to
lose some weight and your chart shows that you have a history of high blood
pressure in your family so you are going to need to keep a close eye on
that." Just like that I would have my numbers that I can fill in on the
next questionnaire; problem solved!
Charles and his wife, Daisy.
Everything went fine
with the physical examination until we started going over my blood work. My
total cholesterol was fine at 158 but my HDL numbers were quite low (a good
goal for men is above 40 and I was sitting at 29). My "slightly
elevated" blood pressure had escalated to pre-hypertensive, and my liver
numbers were "really strange" so he wanted to send me back to the lab
after my appointment to have more blood drawn to test for hepatitis (What?!?).
"When I see you this time next year, I will have to put you on blood
pressure medication and probably something to help you raise your HDL levels,
if you don't do something about it on your own." I had finally done it. I
let myself get unhealthy because of my eating habits and my weight. "What
can I do, besides the obvious 'lose weight'?" He told me that the only
effective way he has seen to raise HDL levels without medicine is strenuous
exercise. Not just exercise, HARD exercise. I needed to get my blood moving
hard and fast. In addition to raising my HDL levels, this would have positive
benefits like improving my liver numbers and losing weight. "Great! One
recommendation would fix all of my problems! It's too bad that it involves
exercise."
I did not enjoy the
prospect of being on a pill for the rest of my life. Choose diet and exercise?
This was quite the eye opener. Pills or healthy living? I chose to get healthy.
First I started with the diet since I could not afford a membership to the gym.
Being the technology geek that I am, I started searching out a way for me to
track the calories that I consumed. Of course - "there's an app for
that!" Setting up the app and telling it how much weight I wanted to lose
per week (I opted to go the max of 2 lbs), I started my adventure; not an easy
feat since I worked offshore and had access to the Galley there. The food isn't
always good, but there is ALWAYS a ton of it (or tonne as my
current assignment was on a Danish flagged vessel)! The first week was not bad
- not good, but not bad. I lost more than my two pounds and was feeling pretty
good. Then weeks two and three reared their heads and I realized that I was
HUNGRY! I continued to follow the calorie restrictions that I set for myself
and after the first month I had lost 12 pounds!
That is where my life
took a turn. I lost my initial 12 pounds…and that was it for almost a month. In
the back of my mind, I hear my doctor's advice again - exercise, hard exercise.
"Alright…I can do this," I told myself. I had no access to any weight
equipment, which was my first choice. My second choice was a bicycle, which I
did not have - strike two. I had a pair of shoes in my closet - running shoes.
These shoes had an "interesting" history since I purchased them using
winnings from a game…the McDonald's "Monopoly" game! Odd that I would
get a pair of running shoes thanks to a Big Mac and a large fry and that they
would change my life.
I crammed my feet in my
shoes and tied them too tight - a runner I was not. I was going to give it a
herculean effort however. I hopped in my car and drove around the neighborhood
to determine the distance around (Is my geek showing again?) and came up with
1/2 mile. "Alright, I'm ready for this!" I started with a brisk walk
to warm up - down to the first corner of the 1/2 mile loop. "Here we
go…" I began running…and breathing…sucking air…gasping. I had made it down
the stretch to the next corner and achieved victory! I walked for a
minute, turned the next corner and took off running again. I didn't make it
down the next leg when I felt "nature's call". I gingerly made my way
back to the house, answered and then decided to take a shower. Warning: weak
stomach alert! At this point I turned on the water to the shower and promptly
threw-up! Overdid that one there Chuckie! Next time, take a longer victory lap
and cool down better!
I continued this
routine, running from corner to mailbox; corner to corner…corner to the house.
I built my way up to a mile steady running over the next month or so and was
feeling pretty good about that! My exhilaration also extended to the bathroom
scale - I was losing weight again! I steadily trotted along, pushing myself
further and further towards my goal of weight-loss. I had set myself mini-goals
of 10 pounds to lose. I also allowed myself one "Bust!" day per week
(can you say Seafood Friday). Using this regimen of fewer calories, more
exercise, mini-goals and bust-day, I began seeing great results. Five months
into my journey I had lost 45 pounds. Month six was another good month and the
scale showed 54 pounds total! I finished my first 5k and my first 10k - both
under my goals of 30 minutes and 1 hour respectively.
I lost 80 pounds in
the nine months prior to my annual physical/visit to my GP. I was thrilled…and
PROUD! What was the Doc going to say when he saw my success? I went in to have
my blood-drawn the week prior to my appointment…excited! It was finally time to
see the doctor. The nurse showed my back to the room and took my vitals. My
blood pressure was great and my HR was lower than it had
EVER been - a result of my conditioning and a mini-victory! Then we wait…and
wait…and wait. The doctor entered and sat down next to me. He reviewed my chart,
looking over my blood-work and began asking me questions about how I felt.
"Great since I followed your advice and lost all that weight." He
re-consulted the chart and was shocked at the year-on-year comparison of my
weight. "Wow! I always make that recommendation hoping that one-day
someone will follow it. You lost a lot of weight!" He asked me how and I
told him that I started running and pushing away from the table. "Do you
have any races or anything that you are training for?" I mentioned that I
was training for my first Half Marathon and that I was tremendously nervous
about it being such a far distance! "With the weight you lost I know that
you have the drive to make it at least that far." Boy did that make me
feel good. It was time to review my results from the lab. Blood Pressure -
NORMAL. Liver numbers - NORMAL. HDL level - 43! Total cholesterol was in the
130s! JUBILATION!!
Charles at Chicot during a trail run.
All of my hard work
had paid off. I was healthy and I felt great. I no longer felt that deep
disappointment when I saw a picture of myself. I was committed now and had
actually begun to like running - something that I NEVER thought would happen. I
started it as a means to reach my end goal. I noticed though that I was less
stressed and even looked forward to the next run. I finished my Half Marathon
and signed up for its big brother the very next week - the Marathon! That is
how I came to be where I am today - a multiple marathon finisher who has an
Ultra-Marathon on the horizon. A man who successfully lost 100 pounds through discipline,
effort, grit and sheer determination. This is my story (minus a few details for
posterity of course LOL).
Charlie (left) with Randy Carlson after a trail run.
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to work an aid station at the Cajun Coyote trail run for the third year in a row - every year that it has been in existence. This race is growing every year as word spreads about how much fun it is, and how beautiful the trails at Chicot State Park are. The runners get to see things like this:
and this:
We received rave reviews all day about how beautiful the park is. It is nice to hear, since we can sometimes take it for granted. I have said this many times, but I really do believe that Chicot has all of the best parts of Louisiana within its grounds.
So, we drive in Friday evening, and get there in time for the pre-race meal at the Pavilion in the park. This is a great way for runners to get to visit with each other and laugh about what they are taking on the next day. In this case, it would be either 1 loop - 20ish miles, 3 loops (100k) - 62ish miles, or 5 loops - 100ish miles. The number of 100 milers doubled from last year because of the high percentage of runners in 2011 who finished in sub-24. That is a big goal of 100 mile runners - "100 miles in 1 day".
Chris Scott, RD and head nut, giving a quick pep talk
Christina the night before her first ultra marathon!
It is a surreal feeling sitting there trying to
wrap your brain around what you are trying to do.
Then, it was off to set up our trusty tent again. This time, both Josh and Shelby were with me. I love bringing them to events like this, and I knew they would enjoy themselves. Trail runners are among some of the funniest, most laid-back folks on the planet and my kids have great time every time they are around them.
We turned in early knowing we would have a long 30 hours or so ahead of us. The 100 milers and 100k'ers started their races on Saturday morning at 6:25, and had 30 hours to finish. We would have to be at the aid station for most of that time, taking turns grabbing a quick nap in our cars. Even for the volunteers this is an endurance event.
Race morning, we began setting up the aid station about 5:45. Ours was at the mile 4 mark on the trail, and it would be the first one the runners came to, so I wanted to be ready. Early on, we kept the food choices simple with cookies, chips, pb&j sandwiches, candy and fruit. For drinks we had Coke, Mt Dew, Heed (Electrolyte drink), water and ginger ale. (The ginger ale would become very popular late in the race when the runner's stomachs started to go sour - as were the ginger snaps.)
Shelby, Karin and Chris. Karin was one of my all-day and all-nighters.
We were both a little punchy by the end.
When the first batch of 100 milers and 100k'ers came through it was a little hectic. It was still early in the race and they were still bunched up. After a while though, things settled down some. The excitement was too much for Shelby.
Josh was up to the task, though.
Once the initial rush is over, a pattern forms: 10 - 30 minutes of sitting around visiting followed by a few minutes of action when a runner comes through, followed by 10 - 30 minutes.....you get the point. The 20 milers started their race at 9:00, so we got a little rush of visitors when they made it to our aid station, but we only got to see them once that day. After they went through, the field was pretty spread out for the rest of the race.
Throughout the day, there was the added excitement of the race within the race that was going on. While most runners out there were going for 20, 62, or 100 miles, one man was going for 200 miles!! Yep, you read that right - 200 miles. AD Marshall left Friday morning (on foot) from Baton Rouge, and RAN to Chicot State Park arriving at 4:15 a.m. Just enough time to eat, shower, dress and line up at the start.
Here he is as he arrived at the park. 1/2 way to his 200 mile goal.
AD's sister, Sarah, was there crewing for him, so every time he was approaching our aid station, Sarah would drive up and start getting things ready for him. What an amazing friendship they have for her to be so dedicated to helping him achieve this crazy goal!
It was great to see him come through our spot. At first he was looking pretty stiff and bringing up the rear of the pack. 100 miles on the road will take its toll on you.
But, even when he was hurting he was moving forward as quickly as possible. Many of the runners that came through would ask about his progress. It was inspiring to everyone to know that he was out there.
I already told you how awesome trail runners are, and Mosi Smith epitomizes this awesomeness. Mosi is a member of the Marine Corps ultra running team. He ran the 100 miler here last year, and finished in 2nd place with a time of 18:49. This year, Mosi finished in 18:34 with a first place finish AND a new course record!!
Every time Mosi would come through the aid station, he was positive, smiling, and incredibly polite. What a great example. THIS is what I want my kids to see. There are no cheats in ultra running. You may have the most expensive shoes and gear, but in the end it is your drive and determination that get you to the finish line. And at Coyote events, this is what you find at that finish line:
I have no explanation for this. It just is.
So, as night began to fall, the aid station fare changed a bit, adding ramen noodle soup and potato soup. It was warmer than we would have liked during the day, and the salty items were welcomed by the runners. For anyone who has run the Chicot trail in the daylight, you can understand the challenges it presents in the night time. Roots, critters, etc.
AD coming through our aid station
Before long, many of the 100k'ers were crossing the finish line - with our very own Christina Gravish finishing her first ever 100k in 12:08, for 3rd place female, and 4th overall finisher. The temperature dropped a bit, and the gaps between the runners were longer as the runners slowed down a bit, so the aid station folks found ways to pass the time.
As the night drew on, the 100k'ers wrapped up their journey, and now only 100 milers were coming through our spot. Your body clock can be your worst enemy at this point in a 100 miler. Fatigue and desire for sleep outweighs the weight of your legs. Sometimes it is just best to lay on the ground and take a short nap - which some folks did. It is amazing how much 10 minutes of sleep can refresh you and renew your chances of finishing the race. Once the sun comes out again, though, your body clock becomes your friend again and you get a little boost to keep running.
Its late in these races that you get to witness the drama of a 100 miler. From folks who may have pushed their bodies too hard in the heat and who can no longer keep food down, leading to a DNF, to those who are hurting and you begin to doubt their ability to continue, just to see them spring out of the chair 10 minutes later and charge down the trail. For those of you who enjoy studying human behavior, it doesn't get any better than this.
Once the sun rose again, the field had shrunk to just a few tough souls still out there pushing toward the finish line. By now, our aid station was in constant contact with all of the other aid stations keeping track of where each runner was at all times. There are time cut offs in these races. If you don't make it to a certain point by a set time, it is a good bet you will not make the overall cut off for the race. This is when the RD exercises his power to pull you off of the course. For your own good as well as for the volunteers who have been out there 24+ hours.
Finally, it came down to AD and two other girls out on the trail. For most of the race AD had been DFL (dead &*%&^ last), but he was gaining ground on the girls, and from the report I got from the start/finish, I knew he started his last lap (180 miles into his run) like his shorts were on fire. He was determined to make it to the finish under the cutoff and it was looking like he would!
Next thing you know, here comes AD - he threw his empty water bottles to the side and grabbed the filled bottles his sister had waiting for him and took off down the trail - his pacer was even having a hard time keeping up!!
Then, here come the two girls we were waiting on. They were obviously hurting, but they were still moving forward at a decent pace, so there was hope they would make it to the end in time. Now that all of the runners had come through our stop, we packed everything up and headed to the start/finish to watch the runners come through. There was no way, regardless of how tired Shelby, Josh and I were, that we were going to miss watching AD finish his 200 mile journey. That was some epic sh&t, and not something my kids may ever have a chance to witness again. All day they followed AD's progress, and they were as excited as I was to see him finish!
The finish lines at these events are as drama filled as anything I have ever seen! I got to witness two beautiful ladies finish their first 100 miler:
Lucia Alzaga
Rhae Loney
I know first hand that the amount of suffering during the run is directly related to the amount of elation/relief/feeling of accomplishment felt as you cross the finish line. GREAT JOB LADIES!! There were many happy tears - many from me - for each of the runners that finished that morning. Then, it was time to wait for AD. But, we didn't have to wait long. AD flew through that last 20 miles. It was his fastest lap of the race! Here he is coming in to the finish:
There are no words. Truly amazing!
AD with Chris Scott, RD, after receiving his buckle and propeller hat. (Along with 2 celebratory beverages!)
So, we wrapped things up and headed home. Shelby and Josh were buzzing about AD's finish. How amazing is it that they were able to witness such an awesome achievement on all of the runner's parts, and that they were able to be an integral part of their success by working the aid station. Even if they never choose to attempt something like this themselves, hopefully they will pull on these memories to remind them that anything is possible when you put in the work and set your mind on a goal.
Well, the 2012 Cactus Rose 50 miler is now reduced to fond memories, and this:
There is no soreness left, and I was able to get a deep tissue massage today without jumping off of the table so I guess that means it is time to race again! :) It is race season after all. This year, that was expanded a bit, and will range from July 2012 to February 2013. And maybe March - debating on tacking on another 50 the month after Rocky that I have never done before but looks like alot of fun. Yes, an intervention may be necessary.
Did I mention that I LOVE these races?? I really do. That is why I keep coming back. Some days I really do not want to run. I mean I REALLY do not want to run. But, I do want to be able to enjoy the race day experience, so I run anyway. Most of the time. I'm sure you have noticed by now, I am in no way a training Nazi, especially considering all of the upheaval in my life over the last couple of years. I have really learned to embrace quality miles over quantity. I feel healthy and strong, and I am optimistic about another PR at the Wild Hare 50 miler this weekend.
The first year I did the Wild Hare 50 miler, my finishing time was 11:48. Last year, I finished in 11:13. I am hoping to beat that, and - best case scenario - I would like to come in under 11 hours. 10:59:59 would make me happy happy. :) But, alot can happen over the course of a 50 mile trail run, so I will take what it gives me. One thing I love about ultra distance events is that even if I have a "bad" time, there are not many people who would be qualified to criticize me - and those who are qualified, who have done 50 and 100 milers, are usually the most supportive people on the planet, so its a win win.
I tent camped with friends for Cactus, and I am once again tent camping for Wild Hare, but this time I am bringing Josh, my 13 year old son with me. (Shelby, my 15 year old, is staying behind for a speech tournament. This is the first year I won't have both of my kids with me at this race.) A couple of times a year I will take the kids out of school on a Friday to bring them to a race. I figure they can learn more from being in that kind of environment where people are doing what so many believe is impossible than they will in school on that particular day (apologies to my teacher friends). It is very important to me to expose my kids to different experiences, so that nothing seems out of reach for them. When faced with something difficult, I want them to think, "If my mom can run 100 miles, I can do this". They weren't able to be with me for my first 100 miler, so I was very happy to have them with me last year. They were there when I finished every 20 mile loop, and theirs' were some of the first hugs I got when I crossed the finish line. That is as good as it gets.
So, I guess I should start getting things together for the race?? Yeah - I'm not "there" yet. I am a NINJA when it comes to last minute packing. Give me two hours, keep a safe distance, and "Voila" - all packed. (It is really hard to find an occasion to use the word "Voila" - and I just used it twice! :)
This race is at a working cattle ranch/mountain biking trail near Austin, Texas. Yep. Cattle ranch. There will be warm obstacles on the trail. By the last loop (there are 7 for the 50 milers) when your legs are heavy it is easier to go around than hop over the deposits left by the year round residents. There are no real spectators here - at least not the kind that will cheer for you:
They just look at you in a way that, later in the race, you believe is mocking. The best part is what they serve at the finish line....you guessed it...BURGERS! Who's laughing now?? :)
It is a pretty remote place. Directions from the Race Doc:
Bluff Creek Ranch is off the beaten path so make certain you have the details of the directions and turns before you leave home. It is off the major highway and then off the side road as well. You might could find it accidentally, but I doubt it. Copy the directions and bring them with you. Once you find the town of Warda, which is just a bump in the road, then you must find Owl Creek Rd. Once on that, you are pretty close.
If you can't find your way to the race with road signs and maps, you definitely should NOT be running a trail race.
Compared to Cactus Rose, this course is a pancake. Compared to most of what we are used to in Louisiana, it has some decent climbs and descents. It is a mountain bike trail, after all. Evidently those mountain bike types like steep downhills followed by sharp turns along the side of a ledge. Its fun for a while, but by the end, all of the sliding around in your shoes on those downhills can lead to this:
Yes, that is actually my foot after Warda in 2010. That thing felt like jamming a piece of glass into your foot for every step of the last 7 - 8 miles. I think my kids learned some new words that night when I peeled my socks off.
So, I will spare you the details of the pre-race packing. It will be similar to Cactus, except that the aid stations here will be fully stocked. I will still bring my favorite snacks to set up at the start/finish area for between laps, but everything else is covered. I will get Josh to update my FB with my race info, if there is cell coverage (I don't remember).
The best part about this one will be the company. Here are some other local folks making the journey:
Tim and Karin Gill, Christina Gravish, Liz Wooster, John Robideaux, Aaron and Molli Davis!!!! Yaaayyy!!
I'll fill you in on the hopefully not too gory details post race. Until then...
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